
Glass 




FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH. 

Erected 1870. 






THE 



MANUAL 



£w%$ &uJ|ffaii 0|nrr| 



CITY OF ALBANY. 




ALBANY: 

JOEL MUNSELL 
1871. 



Y 2. a ><y 

1871. 
CHURCH OFFICERS. 



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PASTOR. 

Rev. Samuel P. Sprecher. 

TRUSTEES. 
J. Munsell, Prest., J. Van Wormer, Treat., 
Henry Falke, George Jenkins, 

Peter Foland, Isaac Schell, 

Thomas Van Aernam. 

ELDERS. 

John Fredendall, Charles Agne. 

Joseph H. Kennedy. 

DEACONS. 

Simon Vine, Philip Frederick. 

Martin Happell. 

ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER. 
Thos. Spencer Lloyd. 

SEXTON. 
em mm t John Fredendall. 

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, « . < eete * c c « • f • « i • • 

ec>e ee# c- e c 4 c r e e 

'Sylvester Shaffer, ' Superintendent. 
S. Vine, J.ss7 Superintendent. C. E. Jenkins, Treasurer. 
L. D. Fredendall, Secretary. C. H. Van Aernam, Librarian; 

Assistant Librarians. 
Charles Munsell, William Traver, 
George Lochner, William Comstock. 



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PREFACE. 



The principal design of this Manual is to fur- 
nish the congregation with the form and order 
of the public services of the church. The pas- 
toral and congregational part has been prepared 
by the minister ; that appertaining to the " service 
of song," was compiled and arranged by the 
organist of the church, Mr. Lloyd. 

It will be observed that the portions of the ser- 
vice designed to be sung are pointed for chant- 
ing, and have chant melodies prefixed thereto* 
It is not intended, however^ that these particular 
chants are at all times to be used, as variety in 
the musical service of the church is as essential 
as it is edifying. Suitable anthems set to the 
words in the service may also be used in the place 



VI PREFACE. 

of the chant, when time and circumstance make 
such substitution desirable. 

The Rules and Regulations for the government 
of the affairs of the church, adopted many years 
ago, had become in a great measure obsolete by 
the altered condition of things, especially that 
portion of them relating to the church property 
and our adherence to the New York Ministerium. 
The amended rules are inserted simply for con- 
venient reference by the church officers, in con- 
ducting the business entrusted to them. 

The list of communicants embraces the names 
of all that can be found in the records since they 
began to be entered in 1786. Many of them, of 
course, have gone to their long account. 

The historical portion has been added in the 
belief that it will be of general interest, and serve 
to make the congregation better acquainted with 
the antiquity and vicissitudes of their church or- 
ganization, and possibly inspire a more zealous 
activity in its prosperity and perpetuity. 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Morning Service, 1 

Gloria Patri, 2.11 

Confession of Sin, - - 2 

Kyrie Trinitas, 4 

Apostle's Creed, -------- 4 

Gloria in Excelsis, - 5 

Benedic Anima Mea, 7 

Evening Service, 9 

Levavi Oculos Meos, 12 

Bonum est Confiteri, 13 

Offertory, 15 

Te Deum Laudamus, - - - - " - - - 16 

Thanksgiving Service, 19 

Laudate Dominum, - - . - \ - - - - 19 

Christmas Service, -------- 22 

Easter Service, - 25 

Funeral Service, -------- 28 

Dixi Custodiam, -------- 29 

Rules and Regulations, 34 

History of the Church, ------- 45 

Ancient Deed, 1680, - 50 

Pew Holders of 1788, ------- 58 

do 1792, 112 

do 1871, 71 

Description of Church Edifice, 1871, - - - - 74 

Sunday School Anniversary, 81 

List of Communicants, 1786-1871, 81 

Extracts from the Records, 102 



ILLUSTRATION'S. 

Page. 

Church Edifice, 1871, frontispiece 

do 1816, -----.-- 60 

Ancient City, 1695, - 106 

Church Seal, --------- 113 

Autographs, ------ 109, 111, 116, 118 



ORDER OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 



[One or more of the folio icing sentences to be read by the 
minister.] 

TX the Dame of the Father, and the Son. and the Holy 
Ghost. Amen. 

The Lord is in His Holy Temple ; let all the earth 
keep silence before Him and worship Him. 

From the rising of the sun even to the going down of 
the same, my Name shall be great among the Gentiles, 
saith the Lord of hosts. 

Turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and 
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. 

Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at haud. 

Enter not into judgment with thy servant, Lord ; 
for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. 



Z MORNING SERVICE. 

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my 
heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Lord, my strength 
and my Redeemer. 

[After wliicli shall be sung.] 

Gloria Patri. 



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£^ LORY be to the Father, and | to the | Son, || and | to 
^ ^ e | j£ _i y | Ghost; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | 
he, || world | with-out \ end. A- \ men. 

[Then followeth, by the minister.'] 

Confession of Sin. 

T~\EARLY Beloved : The Holy Scriptures declare that 
-■^ when the wicked man turneth away from his wick- 
edness and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall 
save his soul alive. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart. 
To the Lord belong mercies and forgivenesses though we 
have rebelled against him. Let us, therefore, confess our 
sins unto our Heavenly Father, with sincere, humble and 



MORNING SERVICE. 



obedient hearts, that we may obtain forgiveness of the 
same, by His infinite goodness and mercy. 



[The congregation arise and continue standing until the conclu- 
sion of the hymn Gloria in excelsis or the canticle Bene- 

DIC ANIMA MEA.] 

Almighty and most merciful Father, unto whom all 
hearts are open, and all desires are known, all whose com- 
mandments are just, necessary, and good; we confess 
unto thee, that we have erred and strayed from thy ways 
like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices 
and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against 
thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which 
we ought to have done ; and we have done those things 
which we ought not to have done. But enter not, we 
beseech thee into judgment with us; for in thy sight 
shall no man living be justified. As thou desirest not 
the death of a sinner, but that he may turn from his 
wickedness and live — have mercy, Lord, upon us, 
miserable offenders. Spare thou those, God, who con- 
fess their faults. Eestore thou those who are truly peni- 
tent, according to thy gracious promises declared unto 
mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, most 
merciful Father, that we may hereafter live a godly, 
righteous and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name, 
through thy blessed Son, our Mediator and Redeemer. 



MORNING SERVICE). 



[I 1 hen sliall be said or sung.] 

Kyrie Trinitas. 



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f~\ GOD, the Father | in . . . | heaven ; || 

^^ Have I mer-cy | Tip-on | ms. 

O God, the Sou, Redeemer | o/ the \ world ; \\ 

Have | mer-cy | up-on | ^s. 
God, the Holy Ghost ; have | mercy upon | ^s, 

And j grant . . . | us thy | peace. 



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Apostle's Creed. 

{Minister and congregation^ 
T BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of 
-*- heaven and earth. 

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was 
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, 
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and 
buried ; He descended into the place of departed spirits ; 
the third day He rose from the dead \ He ascended into 
heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father 
Almighty ; from thence He shall come to judge the quick 



MORNING SERVICE. 



and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy 
Christian Church; the communion of saints ; the for- 
giveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the 
life everlasting. Amen. 



[Then shall be sung this Hymn.'] 

Gloria in excelsis. 



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f~^ LORY be to | God an | high ; || and on earth, [ 
^^ peace, good | will toward \ men. 
We praise thee, we bless thee, we | worship \ thee, || 
We glorify thee, we give thanks to | thee for | thy great 
glory. 






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Lord God, | heaven-ly | King. || God, the | Fath-er 

Al- . . . | mighty. 
Lord, the only begotten Son, | Jesus | Christ; || 
Lord God, Lamb of | GW, £o?i | o/^e | Father, 



MORNING SERVICE. 



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A - men. 

That takest away the | sins . . . of the \ world, || have 

mercy [ up-on | its. 
Thou, that takest away the | sins . . of the | worZd, || 

have mercy [ up-on | ^6s. 
Thou, that takest away the | sins . . . of the | world, || 

re- | ceive o?^r | prayer. 
Thou, that sittest at the right hand of | God the | Father \\ 

have mercy | up-on | ?/s. 



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For thou | 07i^ a?*£ | jSi% ; || Thou | 0%-^ | ar£ £7&e | 

Lord. 
Thou only, Christ, with the | Ho-ly \ Ghost, || art most 

high in the | glory of | God the | Father. || Amen. 



MORNING SERVICE. 

[Or this Canticle.'] 
Benedic anima mea. Psalm ciii. 



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T)RAISE the Lord | my \ Soul, || and all that i s 
within me I praise his | lio-ly | name. 

Praise the Lord \ my \ soul, || and for- | get not \ 
all his | benefits. 

Who forgiveth | all tliy \ sin, \\ and | heal-eth j all . . . 
thine in- | firmities, 

Who saveth thy | life . . from cle- \ struction, || and crown- 
eth thee with | mercy and \ lov-ing \ kindness. 

praise the Lord, ye angels of his, ye that ex- \ eel . . 
in | strength, \\ ye that fulfil his commandment, and 
hearken | unto the | voice . . of his | word. 

praise the Lord, all | ye his | hosts, \\ ye servants of | his 
that | do his | pleasure. 

speak good of the Lord, all ye works of his, in all 
places of | his do- | minion ; || praise thou the | 
Lord ... | my | Soul. 



8 MORNING SERVICE. 

Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son, || and | to 
the j Holy | Ghost; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | 
be, || world | with-out | end. A- | men. 

[ T#6?i followeth] 

Reading of the Scriptures. 

Hymn. 

Prayer. 

Hymn, or Anthem. 

Collection and Announcements. 

Sermon. 

Prayer. 

Hymn with Doxology. 

Benediction. 



gtornfng Service, 



[One or more of the following psalms to be reeid by the minister, 
the congregation to arise and remain standing until the close 
of the Gloria Patbi.] 



1 — Psalm lxvii. 



f^\ OD be merciful unto us, and bless us ; 
And cause his face to shine upon us. 



That thy way may be known upon earth, 
Thy saving health among all nations. 

Let the people praise thee, God ; 
Let all the people praise thee. 

Then shall the earth yield her increase ; 
And God, even our own God, shall bless us. 

God shall bless us ; 
And all ends of the earth shall fear him. 



10 EVENING SERVICE. 



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2 — Psalm c. 

AKE a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands ; 
Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his 
presence with singing. 



Know ye that the Lord he is God ; 
It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves ; we 
are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his 
courts with praise ; 
Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 

For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting; 
And his truth endureth to all generations. 



3 — Psalm cxxii. 

T WAS glad when they said unto me, Let us go into 

the house of the Lord. 
Our feet shall stand within thy gates, Jerusalem. 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : 
They shall prosper that love thee. 

Peace be within thy walls, 
And prosperity within thy palaces. 



EVENING SERVICE. 



11 



4 — Psalm xxvi. 

f WILL wash mine hands in innocency; 
So will I compass thine altar, Lord. 

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, 
And tell of all thy wondrous works. 

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, 
And the place where thine honor dwelleth. 



[After which shall be sung.] 

Gloria Patri. 



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(^ LORY be to the Father, and | to the \ Son || and | to 



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the j Ho-ly | Ghost ; 



As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | be 
world | with-out | end. A- \ men. 



12 



EVENING SERVICE. 



\T7ie minister here readeth a lesson from the Old Testament, after 
which the following Canticle shall be sung.] 

Leva vi oculos meos. Psalm cxxi. 



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f WILL lift up mine eyes | unto the | hills , || from | 
whence . . | cometh my | help. 

My help cometh | from the | Lord || which | mac?e . . | 

heaven and | earth. 
He will not suffer thy | /oo^ . . fo 6e | moved; || He 

that | keepeth thee | ici7£ wo£ j slumber. 

Behold, he that | keep-eth | Israel, || shall | nei-ther \ 
slumber nor | sfeep. 

The Lord, | is thy | keeper ; || The Lord is thy shade 
up- | o?i £% | right . . | hand. 

The sun shall not | smite thee . . by | ^<x?/, || Nor the | 
mo<m . . | by . . | night. 

The Lord shall preserve thee | from all \ evil; || He | s7iaS 
jpre- | serve £7^ | soul. 

The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy | com-ing | 
m, || from this time forth, and | even for | ev-er- 1 



EVENING SERVICE. 13 

Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son || and | to 
the | Holy j Ghost; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall \ 
be, || world | with-out | end. A- | men. 



[Or this.] 
Bonum est confiteri. Psalm xcii. 



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1 T is a good thing to give thanks | unto the | Lord, || 
and to sing praises unto thy | name . . | Most | 
Highest. 

To tell of thy loving kindness early | in the | morning, \\ 
and of thy | truth . . in the | night . . | season. 

Upon an an instrument of ten strings, and up- | on the | 
lute, || upon a loud instrument | and up- | on the \ 
harp. 

For thou Lord, hast made me glad | through thy | works, \\ 
and I will rejoice in giving praise for the oper- | a- 
tions | of thy | hands. 



14 EVENING SERVICE. 

Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son, || and | to 
the | Holy | Ghost ; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall \ 
be, || world | with-out | end. A- | men. 



[Then followeth] 

New Testament lesson. 

Hymn. 

Prayer. 

Hymn, or Anthem. 

Collection and Announcements. 

Sermon. 

Prayer. 

Hymn. 

Doxology. 

Benediction. 



Sentences for the Collection of Alms 
and Offerings. 

[May be said or sung,] 

JET your light so shine before men, that they may 
-J see | your good | works || and glorify your | Father 
which | is in | heaven. 
While we have time, let us do good | unto all \ men || and 
especially unto them that | are . . of the \ house- 
hold of | faith. 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures up- | on = | earth \\ 
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where j thieves 
hreak \ through and | steal. 

But lay up for yourselves | treasures in | heaven || where 
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where 
thieves do | not break | through nor | steal. 

If thou hast much, | give = | plenteously, || if thou hast 
little, do thy diligence gladly to | give = | of 
that | little; 

For so gatherest thou thyself a ] good re- | icard \\ in 
the | day = | of ne- | cessity. 

He that soweth little, shall | reap = \ little || and he that 
soweth plenteously | shall = | reap = | plenteously. 

Let every man do according as he is disposed in his 
heart, not grudgingly, | or of ne- | cessity, || for 
God | IqvqQi a | cheer-ful | giver. 



16 



TE DEUM LAUDAMUS. 



[To be sung on special occasions at the discretion of the 
minister.'] 

Te Detjm Laudamus. 



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"l^TTE praise | thee, \ God; || we acknowledge | thee 
* * to | be the | Lord. 

All the earth doth | worship | ^ee, |] the | Fath-er J 
ev-er- | lasting. 

To Thee all angels | cry a- \ loud; || the Heavens, and j 
a?Z the \ Powers there- \ in. 

To Thee Cherubim, and [ Ser-a- | phim || con- | tin-ual- 
| 7y cfo cry. 

Holy, | #b-?y, | Ho-ly, || Lord | God of \ Sab-a- \oth; 

Heaven and | earth are | /w?Z || of the | Majes-ty \ of thy \ 
Glory. 

The | glo-rious \ company || of the A- ] pos-tles \praise=\ 
thee 

The goodly | J el-low- J ship || of the | Proph-ets \ praise — 
thee. 



TE DEUM LAUDAMUS. 17 

The | no-ble | army || of | Mar-tyrs \ praise = j thee. 

The holy Church throughout | all the | world, || doth | = 
ac- | know-ledge J ^ee. 

The | jFa- = | ^er, || of an | in-fi- j nite = j Majesty; 

Thine adorable, true, and | on-ly | /SW; || also the Holy | 
Ghost, the | Cora-fort- J er. 

Thou | art the | Z"m^ || of | Glo-ry \ = \ Christ. 

Thou art the ever- 1 last-ing j £cw || of the | jFa- = |== = | 
tiler. 

When thou tookest upon thee to de- | £tVer | man, || thou 
didst humble thyself | fo 6e | 5on& 0/ a | Virgin. 

When thou hadst overcome the | sharpness of | death, || 
thou didst open the Kingdom of | Heaven to | a# 
5e- J lievers. 

Thou sittest at the right | 7&a7ie? 0/ | GW, || in the [ Glo- 
ry [ of the J Father. 

We believe that j thou shalt \ come || to \be = | owr = | 
Judge. 

We therefore pray thee J Ae^> ^Ay J servants, \\ whom thou 
hast redeemed | with thy | pre-cious | blood. 

Make them to be numbered | witil ^ | Saints, || in | 
glo-ry I ev-er- | lasting. 



18 TE DEUM LAUDAMUS. 

Lord j | save thy | people, || and | bless thine | her -it- | 
age. 

Gov- j = em | them, || and j Z?y£ them | up for- J ei;er. 

Day | — 5y | Day || we | mag-ni- \fy=\ thee. 

And we | worship thy | name, || ever, | world = | w^A- 

Vouch- | sa/e, | Lord, |J to keep us this | cZay = | 
with-out | sm. 

Lord ? have | mercy up- | <m ws, || have [ mer-cy | i^p- 

Lord, let thy mercy ] oe up- | o?i ws, || as our | 
£rws£ = | is in | £Aee. 

Lord, in | £Aee have I\ trusted: || let me | nev-er | oe 
ccw- | founded. 



[Tofolloic the opening sentences in the morning service] 

Laudate Dominum. 



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TT)RAISE ye the Lord ; for it is good to sing praises | 
wwfo o«r | GW, || yea, a joyful and pleasant | 

tiling it | *s to be ] thankful. 
sing unto the Lord | m£& thanks- | giving, || sing 

praises upon the | Aa?p . . . \ unto our \ God. 
Great is our Lord, and | great . . is his \pou-er, || 

yea, | and his \ loisdom is \ infinite. 
He healeth those that are | broken in | heart : |] and | 

bind-eth | -wp £Aeir | wounds. 
He covereth the heaven with clouds, and prep a re th. [ rain 

for the | earth. || He maketh the grass to | grow 

up- | on the | mountains. 
He giveth to the | beast his | jfoorf, || and to the | young . . | 

ravens which | cry. 
He hath strengthened the | bars . . of thy | gates. || He 

hath | blessed thy | children with- | m thee. 



20 THANKSGIVING. 

He maketh [ peace . . in thy \ borders, || and filleth thee 
with the | fi-nest ] of the | wheat. 

Glory be to the Father, and | to the \ Son, || and | to 

the | So-ly \ Ghost ; 
As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | 

be, II world I with-out I end. A \ men. 



Hymn fob, Thanksgiving. 

LONG METRE. 

A LMIGHTY Sovereign of the skies, 
r^" To Thee let songs of gladness rise, 
Each grateful heart its tribute bring, 
And every voice thy goodness sing. 

From thee our choicest blessings flow, 
Life, health and strength thy hands bestow, 
The daily good thy creatures share, 
Springs from thy providential care. 

The rich profusion nature yields, 
The harvest waving o'er the fields, 
The cheering light 3 refreshing shower, 
Are gifts from thy exhaustless store. 



THANKSGIVING. 21 

At thy command the vernal bloom 
Revives the world from winter's gloom \ 
The summer's heat the fruit matures, 
And autumn all her treasures pours. 

Let every power of heart and tongue, 
Unite to swell the grateful song ; 
While age and youth in chorus join, 
And praise the majesty divine. 



[To follow the opening sentences in the morning service] 

Bekedictus. 



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"OLESSED be the Lord | God of \ Israel, || for lie 
-*-^ hath visited, | and re- | deemed his | people ; 

And hath raised up a mighty sal- | va-tion | for us, || in 
the house | of his | ser-vant | David. 

As he spake by the mouth of his | ho-ly | Prophets, || 
which have been | since the | world he- | gan ; 

That we should be saved | from our | enemies, || and from 
the | hand of | all that | hate us. \\ 



Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son, || and | to 
the ] Ho-ly | Ghost; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | 
be, || world | with-out [ enc£. A- | me%. 



CHRISTMAS. 23 



Hymn for Christmas. 

COMMON METRE. 

HILE shepherds watched their flocks by night, 
All seated on the ground, 
The angel of the Lord came down, 
And glory shone around. 



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" Fear not," said he, for mighty dread 
Had seized their troubled mind : - 

" Glad tidings of great joy I bring 
To you and all mankind. 

" To you, in David's town, this day, 

Is born of David's line 
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord; 

And this shall be the sign : 



" The heavenly babe you there shall find, 

To human view display'd, 
All meanly wrapp'd in swathing bands, 

And in a manner laid." 



24 CHRISTMAS. 

Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith 
Appeared a shining throng 

Of angels, praising God, who thus 
Addressed their joyful song : 



" All glory be to God, on high 

And to the earth be peace ; 
Good will, henceforth, from heaven to men, 

Begin and never cease. 



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[To follow the opening sentences in the morning service.] 




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/"1 HEIST our passover is sacri- | /-cecZ | /or ws, || there- 
^ fore | fe£ ws | keep the | /eas^ ; 

Not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of | mal- 
ice and | wickedness, || but with the unleavened 
bread | of sin- | cerity and | truth. 

Christ being raised from the dead, | dieth no | more; || 
death hath no [ more do- | min-ion [ over /w'm. 

For in that he died, he died unto | nn . . . | once ; \\ 
but in that he liveth, he | Uv-eth j un-to | GW. 

Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed | 
un-to | sin, || but alive unto God, through | Je- 
sus | Christ our j Lord. 

Christ is risen j /rom *Ae ] dead, || and become the 
first- | fruits of | rfiem *A«£ | sfep£. 
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26 EASTER. 

For since by j man came | death, || by man came also the 
resur- | rec-tion | of the J dead. 

For as in | Adam all \ die, || even so in Christ shall | 
all be j made a- j live. 



Glory be to the Father, and | to the | Son, || and | to 
the [ Ho-ly | Ghost ; 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and j ever sAa^Z | 
6e, || world [ with-out J end. A- j mew. 



Hymn eor Easter. 

SEVENS METRE. 

/CHRIST the Lord is risen to-day, 
^ Sons of men and angels say ; 

Raise your joys and triumphs high, 
Sing ye heavens, and earth reply. 

Love's redeeming work is done, 

Fought the fight, the victr'y won ; 

Jesus' agony is o'er, 

Darkness veils the earth no more. 



EASTER. 27 



Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, 

Christ has burst the gates of hell ; 
Death in vain forbids him rise ; 
Christ hath opened Paradise. 

Soar we now where Christ hath led, 
Following our exalted Head ; 
Made like him, like Him we rise ; 
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. 



THE ORDER FOR 

ffiuntvul Serbtce* 

[As the corpse is being borne into the church, the minister 
shall say.'] 

I" AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord ; 

He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet 

shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, 

shall never die. 

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 

stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though 

after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh 

shall I see God ; whom I shall see for myself, and mine 

eyes shall behold, and not another. 

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain 

we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord 

hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



29 



[After ichich shall be said or sung.] 
DlXI CUSTODIAM. 



=t 



B 



J* 



^%st±*z 



r OKD, let me know my end, and the | number of 
■*-* my | days : || that I may be certified how | long 
1 1 have to | live. 

Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long 3 
and mine age is even as nothing in re- | spect of | 
thee; || and verily every man living is | al-to- | geth- 
er I vanity. 

For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth him- 1 
self in I vain; || he heapeth up riches, and cannot \ 
tell . . I who shall | gather them. 

When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou 
makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were 
a moth I fretting a | garment : \\ every man | there- 
fore, I is but J vanity. 

Hear my prayer, Lord, and with thine ears con- | sider 
my I calling : \\ hold not thy | peace . . . \ at my | 
tears ; 



30 FUNERAL SERVICE. 

For I am a I stranger with | thee : || and a sojourner, 
as | all my | fath-ers | were. 

spare me a little, that I may re- | cover my | strength ; || 
before I go hence, | and be j wo more | seen. || 



Glory be to the Father, and | to the | /Son, || and | to the 
Ho-ly | Ghost) 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall | 5e, | 
world I with-out I end. A I mew. 



[Then will follow the lesson taken from the fifteenth chapter 
of First Corinthians. 

"TV^OW is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
the first fruits of them that slept. For since by 
man came death, by man came also the resurrection of 
the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive. And every man in his own order ; 
Christ the first-fruits ; afterward they that are Christ's at 
his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have 
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father ; when 
he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and 
power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 31 

under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed 
is death. And when all things shall be subdued unto 
him, then shall the Son also himself be subject under 
him, that God may be all in all. But some men will say, 
How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they 
come ? Thou fool ! that which thou sowest is not quick- 
ened, except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou 
sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may 
chance of wheat, or of some other grain. But God 
giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed 
his own body. So also is the resurrection of the dead. 
It is sown in corruption ; it is raised in incorruption ; it 
is sown in dishonor ; it is raised in glory ; it is sown in 
weakness ; it is raised in power ; it is sown a natural 
body ; it is raised a spiritual body. — Behold, I show you 
a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be 
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead 
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 
mortal shall have put on immortality; then shall be 
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swal- 
lowed up in victory. death ; where is thy sting ? 
grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin, 
and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to 
God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye 



32 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of 
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in 
vain in the Lord. 



[Then shall be said or sung.] 



m — & [igy-[ bg=f 



^=^- 



- a?--g >- 



■&- 



|" HEARD a | voice from | heaven, || say- | = rn^ | im- 
to | me. 

Write, | From hence- | forth || Blessed are the | JeacZ 
wAo | e?ie m £Ae | Lord ; 

Even so | saith the | Spirit, || for they | res£ . . . |/ro77i 
£/^V | labors. 



[Then followeth a prayer by the minister, after which 
shall be sung.] 

T WOULD not live alway : I ask not to stay 

■^ Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way, 

The few lurid mornings that dawn on us here, 

Are enough for life's woes, full enough for its cheer. 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 33 

I would not live alway, thus fettered by sin, 
Temptation without and corruption within ; 
E'en the rapture of pardon is mingled with fears, 
And the cup of thanksgiving with penitent tears. 

I would not live alway ) no, welcome the tomb ) 
Since Jesus hath lain there, I dread not its gloom. 
There, sweet be my rest, till he bid me arise 
To hail him in triumph descending the skies. 

Amen. 

Benediction. 



1ft tiles antr IxtQulattons 

for the Government of the First Lutheran Church. 

[Adopted May, 1851.] 

ARTICLE I. 

n^HE affairs of this Congregation shall be conducted by 
~^ a Church Council, composed of the Pastor, Trustees, 
Elders, and Deacons, whose several duties are specified in 
the following; articles : 



ART. II. — Of the Pastor. 

Section 1. It shall be the duty of the pastor of this 
church to conduct the public worship of God, expound 
the Holy Scriptures, and preach the gospel of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ : to administer the sacraments 
of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; to instruct and 
examine the candidates for confirmation and church mem- 
bership, and in conjunction with the Elders and Deacons, 
to decide upon their reception or rejection ; to interest 
himself in the welfare and progress of the Sunday School ; 



Rules and Regulations. 35 

to visit the sick, and admonish men of their duties ; and 
by all proper means, public and private, to edify the 
church of Christ. 

§ 2. He shall keep a fair record of all the baptisms, 
confirmations, and communicants in the Congregation, in 
the book provided for that purpose. 



ART. III. — Of the Trustees. 

Sec. 1. The Board of Trustees shall consist of seven 
members, believers in the truths of Christianity, and of 
reputable life and conduct, who shall be elected by the 
Congregation in the manner hereinafter provided. 

§ 2. They shall at their first meeting after the annual 
election, choose by ballot, from among themselves, a Pre- 
sident, Secretary and Treasurer, whose duties are described 
in the following sections : 

§ 3. The President shall preside at all meetings of the 
Board, maintain order, put the question on all proposi- 
tions properly presented, and acting as the organ of the 
Board in conjunction with the Secretary, execute all legal 
instruments. 

§ 4. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep a fair 
record of the proceedings of each meeting of the Board, 
and attest the signature of the President to all legal instru- 
ments. It shall be his duty to register, in a book pro- 
vided for that purpose, the names of all persons holding 



36 Rules and Regulations. 

pews or sittings in the Church, with an account of their 
payments, to make out all bills of pewholders, and collect 
the same, and to attend all elections with said Register to 
test the qualifications of electors, in case the same should 
be questioned. 

§ 5. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive and 
account for all the moneys of the Congregation, and his 
accounts shall be submitted to the Trustees for examina- 
tion and settlement, at every quarterly meeting of the 
Board. He shall pay no bill or order that is not passed 
upon by the Board, and signed by the President. He 
shall prepare an annual report of the state of the funds, 
the yearly revenues and expenditures of the Congregation, 
the amount of arrearages, and all other items pertaining 
to the temporalities of the church, which shall be laid be- 
fore the Church Council for their adoption, and read be- 
fore the Congregation at their annual meeting on Christ- 
mas day. It shall also be required of the Treasurer to 
give ample security to the Board for the faithful per- 
formance of the duties of his office, before he enters 
upon it. 

§ 6. The Trustees shall have in charge all the property, 
real, personal or mixed, belonging to the Congregation, 
and shall administer of its temporalities according to their 
best judgment and discretion, rendering each year to the 
Congregation, at its annual meeting, through their Secre- 
tary and Treasurer, an account of their stewardship. 



Rules and Regulations. 37 

§ 7. The Trustees shall hold quarterly meetings for the 
examination and settlement of the Treasurer's accounts 
and the despatch of general business, on the last Wednes- 
days of February, May, August and November. Extra 
meetings may be held at the call of the President and Se- 
cretary, provided the nature of the business to be trans- 
acted be specified in the call. 

§ 8. The Trustees, as provided by statute, shall at least 
one month before the expiration of office of any of their 
number, notify the same in writing to the Minister, or in 
case of his death or absence, to the Deacons, specifying 
the Trustees whose terms will expire ; and the Minister 
or the Deacons shall publicly notify the members of the 
Congregation of such vacancies, and specify the time and 
place for the election of new Trustees, to fill up the same. 
This notification is to be given at least fifteen days before 
the election, and for two successive Lord's days. The 
election is to be held at least six days before the vacancies 
shall occur, and to be presided over by two of the Deacons, 
or in case of their absence by two members of the congre- 
gation designated by the majority of the members present. 



ART. IV. — Of the Elders and Deacons. 

Sec. 1. This Board shall consist of six members, three 
Elders and three Deacons, men of reputable life and con- 



38 Rules and Regulations. 

versation, in full communion with this church, in the 
manner hereinafter described. 

§ 2. The principal duties of the Elders are to aid the 
Pastor in administering the government and discipline 
of the church : to endeavor by precept and example to 
discourage all manner of vice and immorality, and to 
bring it to pass that peace, harmony and brotherly love 
may prevail in the congregation ; to visit the sick and the 
afflicted, and to encourage the Sunday School, and pro- 
mote the religious education of the children of the church. 

§ 3. The duties of the Deacons are to lead an exemplary 
life as commanded in scripture ; to minister unto the poor, 
extending to their wants, and distributing faithfully 
amongst them the collections which may be made for 
their use ; to assist the Pastor, if necessary, in the admin- 
istration of the Eucharist, providing the bread and 
the wine, and taking care of the communion service ; to 
attend regularly, and render all necessary service at stated 
worship; to take up the weekly, and other collections, 
and pay the same over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt 
therefor; to see that their Pastor receives a just and 
adequate support, according to the commands of our 
Lord ; and at the same time to employ all proper means 
for advancing the external welfare of the church, and 
for increasing its ability to give assistance to similar insti- 
tutions, and to aid others in the diffusion of the divine 
word. 



Eules and Regulations. 39 

§ 4. The Board of Elders and Deacons shall hold quar- 
terly meetings, at which the Pastor shall always preside, 
for the purpose of examining the candidates for confirma- 
tion and church membership ; and shall decide by vote as 
to their reception or rejection, which decision shall be 
final. At such meetings any other business pertaining to 
the spiritual interests of the church may be discussed and 
decided, and a delegate appointed to represent the church 
at the annual session of the Synod with which it may be 
connected. These quarterly meetings shall be held on 
the Wednesday preceding the administration of the Lord's 
Supper, in each year. In addition to these, extra meetings 
may be held at the call of the Pastor, the call specifying 
the nature of the business to be transacted. 

§ 5. If at any time any member of this church be found 
walking in the ways of vice or immorality, any one or two 
of the Elders or Deacons shall in a private and friendly 
manner expostulate, reason with and admonish that mem- 
ber to desist from such practices. If this should not have 
the desired effect, then another attempt shall be made by 
a larger number of the Elders and Deacons ; if this also 
fail, they shall report such erring member to the Church 
Council, who shall also endeavor to reform him, in such a 
manner as to them seems most consistent with the spirit 
of Christianity. But if after giving the accused a fair 
opportunity of exculpating himself, by being confronted 
with his accusers, he appears guilty to a majority of the 



40 Eules and Regulations. 

whole Church Council ; and after another admonition by 
them, he still proves incorrigible, then shall such member 
be suspended or excommunicated. But, if, through the 
blessing of God, the offender alter in his life and conver- 
sation, and show contrition for his past conduct, and the 
same be known to the Church Council, and they are fully 
satisfied and convinced of his repentance, then shall he be 
reinstated in his rights and privileges. Every act of ex- 
communication or of restoration may be published to the 
Congregation, if deemed expedient by a majority of the 
Church Council. 

§ 6. At the first stated meeting for public worship on 
the Lord's day after the election of Elders and Deacons 
they shall be solemnly inducted into office, according to 
the form prescribed in our Liturgy. 

§ 7. It shall be the duty of the Elders and Deacons, in 
the absence, or at the request of the Pastor, to provide a 
suitable supply for the pulpit. 

AST. V. — Of the Church Council. 
Sec. 1. The Church Council shall hold a meeting annu- 
ally, on the first Monday in December, the Pastor, ex-officio 
presiding, to receive the Reports of the Secretary and 
Treasurer, on the condition of the church property, and 
the state of the funds ; and to transact such other business 
as may come before them relative to the general interests 



RULES AND REGULATIONS. 41 

of the Congregation, and for the promotion of its pro- 
sperity and usefulness. 

§ 2. The Church Council shall make all appointments 
of the inferior officers of the Congregation, such as the 
organist and choirmaster, and sexton ; shall prescribe their 
duties, and fix the amount of their compensation. 

§ 3. Extra meetings of the Church Council may be 
called by the Pastor, or any three of the Trustees, Elders 
or Deacons. 



ART. VI.— Of Elections. 

Sec. 1. Of the Election of Pastor. In case of a vacancy 
in the pastorate of this congregation, the Church Council, 
after having exercised their best judgment and discretion 
in inviting ministers to preach to the congregation, shall 
recommend as candidates such as they sincerely and con- 
scientiously think will best promote by their labors the 
spiritual and temporal interests of the Church ; and at the 
time appointed by them for the purpose, the congregation 
shall proceed to choose by ballot the one whom they pre- 
fer for their pastor. The person so chosen by a majority 
of the members of lawful age, present and voting, shall be 
declared elected. Should any serious difficulties arise 
between the Pastor and the congregation, which they are 
unable to settle by their own endeavors, either party may 
5 



42 RULES AND REGULATIONS. 

appeal to the Synod with which the church may be con- 
nected, in Synod assembled, and shall abide by its decision . 

§ 2. Of the Election of Trustees. The election for 
Trustees shall be held annually, after public worship 
on Christmas day, or in case of Christmas falling on 
Sunday, on the following day, when two or three Trustees, 
as the case may be, shall be chosen by ballot for the term 
of three years. The poll shall be open at 12 M. and close 
at 1 P. M. 

§ 3. Of the Election of Elders and Deacons. The elec- 
tion for Elders and Deacons shall be held annually, after 
public worship on Good Friday, when one Elder and one 
Deacon shall be chosen by ballot for the term of three 
years, the poll to remain open as above. 

§ 4. In case of any vacancy or vacancies in the Board 
of Trustees or Elders and Deacons, either by death, resig- 
nation, removal or other cause, the same shall be filled by 
a special election, and the person or persons chosen shall 
serve as long as the person or persons in whose place he 
or they were elected to serve. 

§ 5. All the above officers shall be elected by ballot 
without nomination, unless it shall be determined by 
unanimous consent to vote viva voce, and all elections shall 
be determined by a majority of the male members of 
lawful age present and voting. And no person shall be 
eligible to any office until he shall have been a pew 
holder in this Church. 



RULES AND REGULATIONS. 4o 

§ G. Of the Qualifications of Voters. No person shall 
be entitled to vote at any election unless he shall have 
been a stated attendant on divine worship in this church 
at least three months before the election, and shall have 
contributed to the support of our Institutions, either by 
renting a pew, or sitting, and paying the same, during 
the above term. He shall be a believer in the truths 
of Christianity and lead a moral life. 



ART. VII. — Of the Regulation of the Pews. 

Sec. 1. The pews in the Church shall be rented annu- 
ally on the 1st Monday in January, preference being always 
given to those who formerly occupied them. Such as are 
not then taken may be had at any subsequent time by 
application to the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, or 
to the Sexton. 



ART. VIII. — Of Amendments. 

These rules and regulations shall not be altered or 
amended unless two-thirds of the Church Council shall 
agree to the same. Having so agreed, they shall appoint 
a day for the Congregation to meet and decide thereon, of 
which at least one week's previous notice shall be given 
by publication from the pulpit. At which meeting a ma - 



44 RULES AND REGULATIONS. 

jority of the members present and voting shall be requisite 
to establish the proposed alteration or amendment. 



The above Rules and Regulations were submitted to a 
meeting of the Congregation, duly convened for their con- 
sideration, on the 28th day of May, A. D. 1871, and after 
being read by sections, were unanimously adopted for the 
government of the First Lutheran Church, in the city of 
Albany. 

S. P. Sprecher, Chairman. 

J. Munsell, Secretary. 



THE 



(Oviflin, iMgmiS and ^xmnt (taflitiott 



FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH IN ALBANY. 



The active settlement of Albany was begun about 163(). 
The early immigrants, coming from Holland, were prin- 
cipally Calvinists, with strong predilections for the prin- 
ciples propounded by the Synod of Dordrecht, and em- 
bodied under the name of the Reformed Protestant 
Dutch Church j yet, although the predominating sect, they 
seem to have found many difficulties in the way of sup- 
porting their own church, which was established in 1642. 
We have not been able to ascertain the precise date of 
the first establishment of a Lutheran church in Albany, 
but Father Jogues speaks of Lutherans here in 1644, 
and it is known that from 1656 to 1660 they had be- 
come numerous, and pressed their claims for freedom of 
worship. Probably as early as 1668 they had an organ- 
ized church here, in spite of the opposition they met 
with ; for they seem to have been the first sect which 



46 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH. 

the dominant party thought necessary to restrain in their 
mode of worship. 1 Application had been made at an 
early date, to the directors in Holland, to allow profes- 
sors of this creed liberty to elect a pastor, and perform 
the free exercise of their religion in New Netherlancl. 
But these privileges were refused, and orders were sent 
over " to employ all moderate exertions to lure them to 
our churches, and to matriculate them in the public re- 
formed religion/'' 2 Moderation is of little avail, where 
conscience interposes scruples. Fathers were compelled, 
contrary to their principles, to assist at the baptism of 
their children in the Dutch church, and as well as the 
sponsors, to declare their belief in the doctrines promul- 
gated by the Synod of Dort. Many who objected to this 
were imprisoned. In a letter dated March 10, 1656, 3 
De Decker alludes to a certain placard drawn up and 
published by the authorities at Beverwyck, " against the 
congregation of some Lutherans, which has also been 
executed against the contraveners and disobedient." The 
Lutherans also sent over complaints, which led to the 
censure of Stuyvesant, and the aggrieved were permitted 
to worship in their own houses. This, however, was not 



1 O'Callaglian's History of New Netherland, u, 310-20. 
''Albany Records, tv, 130; Brodhead's Hist. N r., r, 581, 
582. 
3 Fort Orange JRedords; Brodhead, t, 617. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 47 

enough; they demanded freedom from interruption in 
their worship. The director general avowed his deter- 
mination to enforce the law against schismatical worship. 
The Lutherans appealed to him, October 24, 1656, as fol- 
lows : " We, the united brethren of the Augsburg Con- 
fession here in New Netherland, show with all due reve- 
rence how that we have been obedient unto your prohibi- 
tions and published placards, unwilling to collect to- 
gether in any place to worship our God with reading and 
singing, although we solicited our friends in our father- 
land to obtain this privilege ; who, as our solicitors^ ex- 
erted themselves in our behalf by the noble directors of 
the West India Company, our patrons ; when after their 
letters to us, containing their entreaties, they obtained 
that they resolved unanimously and concluded that the 
doctrine of the unaltered Augsburg Confession might be 
tolerated in the West Indies and New Netherland, be- 
ing under their direction, as is the practice in our father- 
land under its excellent government; wherefore we ad- 
dress ourselves to your honor, willing to acknowledge 
your honor, as dutiful and obedient servants, with prayer 
that you will not any longer interrupt ourjeligious exer- 
cises, which we, under God's blessing, are wishing to 
make, with reading and singing, till as we hope and ex- 
pect under God's aid, next spring, a qualified person 
shall arrive from our fatherland to instruct us, and take 
care of our souls." 



48 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

Accordingly, in July of 1657, the Rev. Johannes Er- 
nestus Goetwater, a Lutheran minister, arrived with a 
commission from the consistory at Amsterdam, authoriz- 
ing him to act as pastor to the Lutheran congregation at 
the Manhattans, now New York. The Dutch ministers, 
Megapolensis and Drisius, took active measures to pro- 
cure his instant expulsion, demanding that he should be 
sent "back to Holland in the same ship in which he ar- 
rived. Sickness alone prevented the immediate execu- 
tion of the harsh and unchristian mandate, and he was 
put on the limits of the city for the time being, and finally 
forced to embark for Holland. 1 The department at Am- 
sterdam, although desirous of soothing the feelings of 
the Lutherans, could do little to relieve their grievances, 
and in the hope of winning them over, ordered some 
alterations to be made in the formula of baptism, as then 
practised in the American orthodox church, to make it 
less objectionable. In 1659 Megapolensis and Drisius 
were enjoined to prevent schism and promote tranquillity; 
to avoid overbearing preciseness, and were told that if 
they should persist in their former course, the company 
would be compelled to allow the Lutherans a separate 
church of their own. 2 



1 O'Callaglian's History of New Netherlands, n, 345, 346. 

2 Brodhead, i, 656. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 49 

The British dynasty brought with it fall permission to 
the Lutherans to follow their mode of worship. On the 
13th of October, 1G69, Gov. Lovelace publicly announced 
that he had u lately received letters from the duke, whereiu 
it is particularly signified unto me, that his royal high- 
ness doth approve of the toleration given to the Lutheran 
church in these parts. I do therefore expect that you 
live friendly and peaceably with those of that profession, 
giving them no disturbance in the exercise of their reli- 
gion, as they shall receive no countenance in, but on the 
contrary strictly answer any disturbance they shall pre- 
sume to give unto any of you in your divine worship." 

The Lutherans seem to have succeeded in gathering a 
church here before 1670, for it is found that the func- 
tions of their minister, the Rev. Johannes Fabritius, 
were in that year suspended by the public authorities. 1 
It is supposed to have been about this time that the 
Lutherans erected a church and parsonage in Albany, 
fronting on Pearl street, between Howard and Beaver 
streets, long since known as the Centre Market.- Capt. 



1 Documentary History of New York, it, 13, 22-3. 

4 The Centre Market/which cornered on South Pearl and 
Howard streets, was removed in 1868, to make room for a new 
building for city purposes. The workmen, in digging to lay 
the foundations, found the remains of several bodies, which 
were removed to the new grounds of the Lutherans in the Rural 
Cemetery. There had been no burials here for nearly a century, 
6 



50 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

Abram Staets (or Staas) obtained a patent of that lot on 
the 25th of October, 1653, which he sold to the officers 
of the Lutheran congregation on the 28th of March, 1680. 
The original deed, which we still possess, having the 
above date, states that the lot was already occupied by a 
Lutheran church, 4 and a house in which the doniine lived. 
The consideration money is not stated, but it is distinctly 
set forth that the first and last penny were paid, which 
certainly puts a very creditable finish to the aspect of 
the transaction. The following is a copy of the original 
deed, and a translation : 

Compareerde voor my Robert Li- Appeared "before nie, Robert Li- 
vingston, Seer, van Albany, Colonie vingston, Secretary of Albany, Colo- 
Rensselaerswyk ende Scliaenhech- ny of Rensselaerswyk and Schenec- 
tady, &ca, ten overstaen van de E. tady, etc., in the presence of the 
achtbaar heeren, Mr. Andries Teller honorable Messieurs Andries Teller. 
& Mr. Cornells Yan Dyk, commissa- and Cornells Van Dyck, magistrates 
rissen der selver Gerechte, Maj. of the same jurisdiction, Maj. Abra- 
Abraham Staas, d welke verclaerde ham Staets, who declares that in true 
in waren Rechten, vryen Eygendom rights, free ownership he grants, 
te cedcren, Transporteeren, en over conveys, and makes over, to and for 
te draegen, aen en ten behoeve van the behoof of Albert Bratt, Myndert 
Albert Bratt, Myndert frederickse Frederickse, elders, Anthony Lis- 
ouder Lingen, Anthony Lespinard penard, and Carsten Frederickse, 



and when the grounds were surrendered by the church to the 
city in 1816, but one body was removed, that of John Christo- 
pher Hart wick, subsequently spoken of in this account. 

1 The earliest allusion to this edifice that we have found in 
the public records is in a deed of a lot made in 1674. See Al- 
bany County Records, p. 100. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



51 



en Carsten frederickse Diakens van 
d'Luy terse gem eente hier in Albany, 
seker buys en Erv, staende ende 
gelegen alhier in Albany, met alles 
datter aen Aerde & nagel vast is, op 
d Eerste kil, belendende ten suyden 
d eerste kil, voorts ten noorden 
d geweseue gemene Padt, nn gepos- 
sideert van Mr. Pretty, Jacob San- 
ders, Johannes Wendel, Myndert 
Harmense & Hend. Cuyler, ten oos- 
ten d gemeine wegh, ten westen een 
cleyn killetje, is Breedt ten oosten 
Twalf Roeden en elf voet, & ten 
westen zes Roeden & vier voet, & 
lang aen de Zuydtsyde een & twen- 
tigh Roeden & een voet, & aen 
d noort syde drie & twentigh Roe- 
den en Twee voeten, alles Rliyn- 
landsclie maet, op welke Erff d Luy- 
terse Kerk nn staet, als mede 't buys 
voor d Lnyterse domine, synde van 
d geheele Luyterse Gemeente ge- 
kocht & betaelt, aen welke d selve 
opgedraegen wort ; Znlx by Cedent 
nyt doet uyt Cracht van Grondtbrief 
hem verleent van den gewezenen 
Governr Richard Nicolls, sub dato 
den 25 April 1667, zynde een ge- 
deelte van d'Erff waertoe in desen 
gerefereert wordt, en dat vry en on- 
beswaert, sonder eenige Lasten dae- 
rop staende ofte uytgaende, behou- 
dens der heer zvn Reght, sonder 



deacons of the Lutheran church here 
in Albany, in a certain house, stand- 
ing and lying here in Albany, with 
all that is fast in earth and nailed, on 
the first kil, bounded to the south 
by the first kil aforesaid, to the north 
the late common path, now pos- 
sessed by Messrs. Pretty, Jacob 
Sanders [Glen,] Johannes Wendell, 
M} r ndert Harmense [Van derBogertJ 
and Hendrick Cuyler, to the east the 
highway, to the west the little kil. 
in breadth to the east 12 r . 11 ft. west 
6 r. 4 ft., length on south side 21 r. 1 
ft., on the north side 23 r. 2 ft., all 
Rhynland* measure, on which lot the 
Lutheran church now stands, to- 
gether with the parsonage, being 
purchased and paid for by the whole 
Lutheran congregation, to whom 
the same is now made over ; which 
this grantor, does by virtue of a pa- 
tent to him given from the late Go- 
vernor Richard Nicolls, of date the 
25 April, 1667 ; being a part of the 
lot to which reference is herein 
made ; free and unincumbered, with 
no'claims standing or issuing against 
the same (excepting the lord's right > 



'This is the orthography in most of the ancient records. A Rhynland or Leyden foot i* 
equal to 12% inches English measure, and a Dutch or Amsterdam foot, about one inch 
less than the IJhynland. 



52 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



dat by cedant in 't minste daerop 
meerder heeft pretentie, als beke- 
nende daer voor ten genoegen vol- 
daen en betaelt te wesen, de eerste 
Penning met den Laetsten, gevende 
derbalven plenam actionem cessam, 
& volkoine macht aen d'voornoemde 
Persoonen, in qualitae als kerken 
Raet zynde van cVLuyterse ge- 
meente, synde] voor het gebruyck 
van d beele gemeente om met bet 
voorsz buys en Erff te doen & te 
disponeeren gelyk als zy met baere 
Eyge Patrimoniale gooderen & af- 
fecten doen soude moogen, beloo- 
vende 'tselve op & Jegens eenen 
Ygelycken te waren & te vryen voor 
alle commer, naemaeninge ofte be- 
swaernisse als Recht is, & vorders 
bier tegens nimmer meer te sullen 
doen nocbte laeten gesbieden in 
geeniger maniere, onderverbant als 
naer Recbten daertoe staende. 
Actum in Albany,de 26Maert,16S0. 
Abram Staas. 
My present, 

Ro. Livingsten, Sec. 

Concordat cum suo Principali quod 
attestor. 

Robert Livingsten. Seer. 

Marginaliter. 

A. Teller. Corn. Van. Dyk. 



without the grantor's making the 
least pretensions thereto any more ; 
also acknowledging that be is fully 
paid and satisfied therefor, the first 
penny with the last; giving there- 
for plenam actionem cessam, and 
full power to the aforenamed per- 
sons in the character of the consis- 
tory of the Lutheran church being 
for the use of the whole congrega- 
tion, to do with and dispose of the 
aforesaid house and lot as they might 
do with their own patrimonial es- 
tate and effects ; promising to pro- 
tect and free the same from all such 
trouble, claims and liens of each and 
every person, as are lawful, and fur- 
ther, never more to do nor suffer 
anything to be done against the 
same, in any manner, on pledge ac- 
cording to laws therefor provided. 

Done in Albany, the 29th March. 
1G80. 

Was subscribed, 

Ann am Staas. 

In my presence, 

Ro. Livingston. Seer. 

In the margin, 
A. Teller. 
Corn. Van. DycTc. 



It will be seen by reference to an ancient map of the 
city, bearing date 1695, that the same spot is marked by a 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 53 

Lutheran church and burying ground, fronting on South 
Pearl street, and extending from Howard to Beaver street ; 
or rather to the stockades, the southern boundary of the 
city at that point. 

We do not learn anything further of the history of this 
church, during the lapse of nearly a century; except that 
in 1714, the Rev. Thomas Barclay was holding Episcopal 
services in " a small old chappell" belonging to the Lu- 
theran congregation at unreasonable hours, and in 1746, 
William Christian Berkenmeyer was the Lutheran minis- 
ter in the city and county of Albany. Although the Lu- 
therans still had possession of their lot in Pearl street, yet 
it is known by tradition that about the close of the revolu- 
tion they had no church, but held their meetings for 
worship in a private house on the corner of Howard and 
Pearl street, a front room in which was fitted up with 
seats sufficient to accommodate the few members belonging 
to the congregation at that time. There are no church 
records extant to account for these things, 1 or giving any 
information as to the origin or organization of the church. 
It is found, however, to have been regularly incorporated in 



1 It would seem that they had worshiped with the Episco- 
palians by the following obscure entry, found in the book of 
minutes, written in German. " 1786, March. A unanimous 
resolution was passed to build a church if possible. We are 
forced to do so, because the brethren of the English church 



54 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

1784, and its condition at this time may be gathered from 
a letter written by the Rev. Heinreich Moeller in 1818, 
in which he says : " I wish brethren you would call to re- 
membrance the condition of your congregation in 178-4 and 

1785, when you had no church, and I was your pastor- 
I traveled in company with an elder, the now deceased Mr. 
Ehring, to New York, Philadelphia, Schenectady, and 
adjacent country, and collected, together with the gene- 
rous donations of the citizens of Albany, and with what 
the cheerfulness of the poor congregation could afford, the 
sum of £640 ($1,600), which was esteemed a large col- 
lection of money at that time. 1 The honest Mr. John Gr. 
Geyer, now deceased, was treasurer, and the building was 



pulled down the edifice, and appointed an Episcopal minister for 
themselves. We paid £50 a year as our share of the salary of 
the common minister." 

1 The success of their collections is thus entered in the book 
of minutes : " There was collected in New York £104 ; in 
Philadelphia £117. Having paid the traveling expenses, there 
was left £198 4s. M. In this city £214 7s. 2d. In the neighbor- 
hood £63 19s. 2d. On the inauguration day £17 18*. Id. The 
deceased Mr. Jacob Evertsen left to the church a gift of 
£20. The elder, Mr. John Evertsen, left also by his testa- 
ment a bond to the benefit of the church £41 1*. 10$. Other 
small donations were received, making a total of £640. There 
was also given subsequent donations by the congregation 
towards seating the church £19 3*. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 55 

paid for soon after it was finished. The congregation had 
engaged to pay me £100 (§250), salary, leaving to me 
one-third of the time free to attend the Low Dutch con- 
gregation at Loonenburgh. 1 But finding that the con- 
gregation proved unable to pay me more than £50, be- 
sides furnishing me with fire-wood, I remitted the rest,' 2 
and employed myself in vacant congregations, some of 
them laid in perfect wilderness, 3 till I found my arduous 
task would waste my strength before the ordinary time of 
age, I took a call to Pennsylvania. After twelve years 
you did me the honor to present me a second call. I 
found the charge easier than before, but my travels to 



1 Athens, Greene county. _ 

2 7Xov. 1788. It was arranged with Rev. Henry Moeller 
that besides the seven Sundays already allowed to him for serv- 
ing the church at Tomhanick, he should have so many Sundays 
and holy days in addition as will make a full third of a year, 
for which he was to remit a full third of his nominal salary in 
cash, leaving £50] ($125) to be paid by the Albany congregation. 
The church officers were Martin Hebeysen, Charles Newman, 
trustees ; John George Geyer and John Conrad Ruby, elders ; 
George Klinck, deacon. 

y The allusion here is to the Lutheran church St. Johns, at 
Knowersville, which was then called Hellenberg, the records of 
which, still extant and running parallel with our own, show 
that it was presided over by the same pastors, and that a much 
larger and more flourishing congregation existed there. 



56 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

Helderberg and Beaverdam, which congregations were 
necessary to make up a necessary living, proved injurious 
to my health, to which was added the heavy expense of 
keeping a horse and chaise, and the increase of prices for 
fire-wood and other necessaries. I left you the second 
time, and am now comfortably settled for the short rest 
of my life." 1 

The records of the church extend no farther back 
than 1784. On the 26th August of that year, the So- 
ciety was incorporated under the title of the Evangelical 



1 The record of baptisms shows the wide range of parishes 
which the pastors supplied, some of them, as Mr, Moeller ob- 
serves, laid in perfect wilderness ; as, Tomhannock, Coeyman's 
Patent, Kiskatammensick, Pittstown, Half Moon, Waterford, 
Eichenberg, Cooksburg, Knobos, Norman's kil, Schampanack, 
Lootman's House, Schotock District, Durham, Schenectady, 
Freehold, Beseck, Livingston's Manor, Nisketah, Lansing- 
burgh, Dowesborough, Whiteoakhill, Hocketock, Watervliet, 
Beaverdam. 

The Rev. Henry Moeller was born in Hamburgh, Germany ; 
came to this country at an early period of his life : devoted him- 
self to the study of theology ; served as a chaplain in Gen. 
Washington's army during the war of the Revolution, and 
afterwards was stationed as pastor in various Lutheran congre- 
gations, both in New York and Pennsylvania. He served the 
church at Sharon, Scoharie county, sixteen years, and died 
there Sept, 17, 1829, aged 80. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 57 

Lutheran Churchy and on the 30th of that month, the 
trustees held their first meeting under their charter, 
when Johann G. Hildebrand, Carl Neumann and Johann 
Christian Ehring, the trustees, adopted the following 
regulations : that the society's chest should be in the 
keeping of Mr. Neumann ; that Johannes Eversen, John 
George Geyer and Christopher Beekman should render an 
account of the collections of money ; that the chest should 
be produced before the meeting for the examination of 
the papers it contained ; that the elder, Mr. Eversen, 
should deliver to Mr. Troster an inventory of the sacra- 
mental and other vessels of the church ; that a book should 
be provided for recording the acts of the church officers, 
&c. On the 27th September the pastor, Heinreich Moel- 
ler, arrived from Philadelphia, and the first recorded com- 
munion is of the date of the 28th May, 1787, when eight 
persons presented themselves, as follows : Mrs. Catharine 
Wagner, Johann George Kling, Johann Leonhard, Eliz- 
abeth Morris, widow, Catharine Marselis, widow, Mar- 
garetha Enax, widow, Friedreich Kuhler, Anna Maria 



1 The records were at first in German, and the title is JDer 
Evangelisch Lutherischen Gemeinde. yet it is often termed the 
Ebenezer Church, without explanation, and finally Ebenezer 
was by common use incorporated in the title of the church. 
The present title is The First Lutheran Church. 

7 



58 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



Lener, widow. The number of communicants for many 
years seldom exceeded twenty, until 1791, when the Rev. 
Mr. Grotz officiated, and 50 were present. The congre- 
gation had become almost entirely German, although it is 
inferred that it consisted at first principally of Hollanders. 
The following is the first recorded list of the pew holders 
of the church in 1788 : 



Christian Ehring, 

Carl Niemann, 

John George Geyer, 

Christopher Beekman, 

Matthew Kugler, 

John Ostrander, 

Martin Hebeysen, 

Andreas Roller, 

John Tillman, 

Johan Heinreicli Nicmeyer, 

George Klink, 

Bernhard Bauer, 

John Matthew Horn, 

Michael Henn, 

John Hood (Hutt), 

Christian Benter, 

John Leonhard, 

Nicolaus Michel, 

Johann C. Fricdenreich, 

John Arnliout, 

Omie Lagrange, 

Johann Conradt Ruby, 



Henry Dowmann, 
Johann G. Hilclebrand, 
Wendell Hildebrand, 
John Heeth, 
Jacob JacobsoD, 
Evert Jansen, 
Philip Wagener, 
Charles Bowmann, 
Regina Hertzberger, 
Christoph Friederich Dieffen- 

bach, 
Samuel Henclerer, 
John Zeilmann, 
Gerhard Marseilis, 
Johann Rattenauer, 
Conrad Freitag, 
Andreas Benter, 
Jorgen Benter, 
Johann Gross, 
Daniel Leonhard, 
John Geyer, 
Jacob Kiimmich. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 59 

The Rev Mr. Moeller began at once to collect money 
for the building of a church edifice, and in the year 
1787 the trustees publicly expressed their acknowledg- 
ments for the receipt of donations, to the amount of £552 
13s. 2d. ; more than £214 of which, they say, was ob- 
tained in Albany and its vicinity. The total cost of their 
building was £640 ($1,600). They used, with permission 
of the common council, stone from the old fort at the 
head of State street, and work to the amount of over £50 
was " done by Christian tradesmen" without charge. 

From the time Mr. Moeller left in 1790, to 1794, the 
church was supplied with the word and ordinances by 
neighboring ministers. Among these were the Rev. 
Messrs. Schwartfeger, Groetz, and Ernst. 

In June, 1794, Rev. Anthon Theodore Braun became 
the pastor and remained till 1800. His record shows 
large accessions to the church membership. On Easter 
Sunday, 1795, there were present beside the pastor and 
64 communicants, the Rev. Johann Frederick Ernst of 
Hudson, Johann Christopher Kunze, and Joseph George 
Wichterman. It was a special occasion, at which 14 new 
members were admitted by confirmation. 

In 1801, the Rev* Heinreich Moeller again took charge 
of the congregation, and remained until 1806. Under 
him the largest attendance at communion was 52. 

In 1807, the Rev. Frederick Gr. Mayer was settled as 
pastor. During his pastorate the number at communion 



60 



HISTORY OF THE CHUECH. 



ranged from 8 to 56 until 1830, when there was a con- 
siderable increase ; the last list recorded by him in 1834, 
showing 117 members. It was during his ministry that 

a new church edifice was 
erected, on the corner of 
Pine and Lodge streets. 
It was very plainly con- 
structed of stone and stuc- 
coed. The corner stone 
was laid on Thursday, Sep- 
tember 21st, 1816. Its 
dimensions were 40 by 60 
feet, and the expense of its 
erection was about $25,000.! 
Mr. Mayer died in Decem- 
ber 1842, at the age of 59, 
having officiated 37 years, by 
far the longest term of any 
pastor of the church of 
which there is any record. 
When Mr. Mayer entered 
upon his pastorate, in 1807, 
the services were held in German. At a meeting of the 
church council (consisting of the trustees, elders and dea- 




1 This edifice was demolished in October, 1868, and the corner 
stone was found, containing an inscription engraved on copper, 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 61 

cons), held May 16th, 1808, at the house of Martin He- 
beysen, it was resolved that the sermons after Whitsunday, 
should be delivered in English, except one sermon in the 
forenoon of the last Sunday in each month. In 1812 this 
subject was again brought up, as though it had not been 
wholly observed, and a peremptory resolution directed the 
pastor to preach altogether in the English language, except 
in the morning of the first Sunday in each month. 

At the close of the last century, an effort was made to 
procure the location of a Lutheran seminary in Albany. 
The Rev. John Christopher Hartwick died in 1796, pos- 
sessed of a large estate, which he left by will for the en- 
dowment of an institution for training up young ministers 
of the gospel, and missionaries to be sent among the In- 
dians, according to the Augustan Confession and the 
tenets of the Evangelical Lutheran church. The execu- 



i n the following words: ''The corner stone of the Lutheran 
Church was laid September 21, 1816, by Frederick Gr. Mayer, 
Pastor of the Congregation, and P. Hooker, architect ; Charles 
Newman, Christopher Monk, John C. Feltman, Hermanus Hen- 
derer, and Philip Talbot, trustees." Not one of the persons 
mentioned on the plate survived in 1868, but all had long been 
dead. The streets had been regraded since the erection of the 
church, which left much of the foundation wall out of the 
ground, and the walls had long continued to crack, and the 
tower rivalled that of Pisa by its leaning. The capacity of the 
church was about 250 on the audience floor. 



62 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

tors named in his will were Jeremiah Yan Rensselaer of 
Albany, and Frederick A. Muhlenberg of Philadelphia, 
formerly a Lutheran minister of New York, but at this 
time speaker of the house of representatives in congress. 
His s-cheme contemplated the erection of a town on his 
tract in Otsego county, to be called New Jerusalem, where 
the theological school should be established, in which " no 
heathenish author should be read, until when, by divine 
providence, the revenue should increase, classical learn- 
ing might be added." The administrators, on looking 
into the affairs of the testator, found that a large part of 
the landed estate, about 13,000 acres, including the in- 
tended site of the New Jerusalem, was claimed by Judge 
Cooper, who professed to have purchased it of Mr. Hart- 
wick at two dollars per acre, payable at a distant time. 

It being uncertain that much of any thing remained 
to found the contemplated school, the trustees of the 
church at Albany desired to have the institution con- 
nected with their church, promising to raise $3,000 
towards the erection of a suitable building. Mr. Hart- 
wick had desired to be buried in the Lutheran church 
of Albany, and his wishes were complied with. His re- 
mains were first placed under the church in South Pearl 
street, and removed from thence and placed under the 
pulpit of the church in Pine street, in 1816. The ori- 
ginal marble tablet bearing his inscription remains in the 
floor of the church, in front of the pulpit, in the lecture 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 63 

room . In fact, they claimed the estate, and deprecated the 
idea of erecting a college in the wilderness, as a " monu- 
ment like the pillar of Absalom." They say that the 
Oneida Indians were provided with a Presbyterian min- 
ister forty years before, that " other nations have the 
same, and now the Indians have sold all their land, 
which will be inhabited by Christians, so that the whim 
of a college and a New Jerusalem, may fall away, and it 
may be better to support with it the congregation of Al- 
bany, which, from the time of Gov. Van Tromp, has always 
been oppressed. We, Lutherans of Albany, are the next 

heirs of Mr. Hart wick His own writings will show 

with what affection we took care of him." At another 
time, writing to the curators of the estate, the trustees, who 
at this time were John Conrad Ruby, Martin Hebeysen, and 
Daniel Pohlman, still complain of tho neglect shown to their 
interests by those having charge of the legacy, "mourn- 
fully observing that our poor Ebenezeris entirely forgotten, 
notwithstanding we appointed in our stead two worthy 
friends and gentlemen, the most Rev. Dr. Kunze and Mr. 
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, our advocates for our distressed 
Ebenezer. Yet in their twelve resolves, nothing appeared 
for such a poor flock of Lutheran Christians to support 
their pious business. We collect about £18 per annum 
from the members of our church, and no more. Our 
church is not finished and more like to decay. But we 



64 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH* 

are forgotten, though we know that Hartwick loved us, 
for he would he with us, even when dead. It is now in 
your power to support that poor church out of an estate 
freely granted by the owner. " The solicitations of the 
trustees seem to have been crowned with partial success; 
for on the 17th of October, 1801, articles of agreement 
were entered into between them and the trustees of the 
estate, by which all the estate was to be deposited with 
the trustees of the church, within two years, for the pur- 
poses of the seminary, subject to the order of the cura- 
tors, John C. Kunze and Jeremiah Van Rensselaer. 
The foundation of an edifice was laid in Park street; but 
the arrangement seems to have given so much dissatisfac- 
tion among the Lutheran churches, as to lead to its aban- 
donment. Accordingly at a meeting of the trustees on 
the 14th April, 1808, they resolved that since it was 
found impossible to execute the trust committed to them, 
they would redeliver the property into the hands of the 
surviving executor, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer; and two 
years after, the materials used for the foundation were 
ordered to be sold. The seminary was finally located at 
Hartwick, in Otsego county, and a special charter ob- 
tained of the legislature in 1816. * 



1 See Session Laics, c. 166 ; also the Hartwick Memorial 



HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH. 65 

In 1816 the city corporation purchased the lot on 
South Pearl street, which had been in possession of the 
congregation almost a century and a half, and paid for it 
832,000. The boundaries were a little differently de- 
scribed at this day, as follows : " On the east by South 
Pearl, late Washington street ; on the south by the Rutten 
kil ; on the west by a small run of water called Fort Kil- 
litie 3 and on the north by Howard, late Lutheran street." 1 

The common council had conveyed to the church the 
lot which they now occupy on Pine street, in consideration 
of some property so indefinitely described that it is not 
now easy to locate it; but is represented as being between 
the west side of Eagle street and the east side of Pearl 
street. This lot on Pine street, occupying the square 
formed by Pine, Lodge, Steuben, and Eagle streets, was 
a huge clay hill, at that time hardly worth the cost of 



1 This property was purchased by the city for the purposes of 
a market. There was at the time a small market on a portion 
of the lot, called Fly market, sometimes Cassidy's market, it 
being occupied by Cassidy and Friedenreich. A portion of that 
market building is still (1871) standing, forming the corner of 
Howard and William streets. It was first erected in the centre 
of Market street (now Broadway), nearly opposite Stanwix Hall, 
and was removed to this spot, the ground being leased of the 
church. The lots west of William street were sold for building 
lots, and covered with cheap tenements, some of which still 
remain. 



66 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

excavation. The expense of removing 50,000 cubic yards 
was $5,000. They afterwards built a session room and par- 
sonage on the premises; the former was consecrated 
July 10th, 1836. The westerly portion of the lot was 
occupied by Wormer's tavern and other wooden build- 
ings, the lots having been let on long leases, which could 
not be controlled by the officers of the church. In 1834 
the state purchased the ground on Eagle street, occupied 
by the State Hall, for $5,000. With this money the 
trustees excavated and began to build upon such lots on 
Park and Lancaster streets as were not encumbered by 
long leases. This had been their second cemetery, and was 
so occupied by them until the cemeteries were removed 
about 1803, to the new grounds appropriated to that pur- 
pose west of Knox street. The old cemeteries extended 
from Eagle street west to Hawk street, and required 
a vast amount of excavation to make proper grades for 
streets and building lots. The deed of the last cemetery 
lot is dated 1 Nov., 1803, and it was formally surrendered 
to the city in 1868, when the bodies interred in it were 
removed to the Rural cemetery, in common with the 
remains in all the cemeteries. The process of removal 
had been gradual by families for a period of nearly 
twenty years before this, so that but 938 bodies remained 
in the Lutheran ground, when the city undertook the 
work, and of these but 44 had head stones or plates on 
their coffins by which they could be distinguished. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 67 

The unsightly buildings owned by the lessees on Pine 
and Steuben streets being an eyesore to the neighborhood 
and being beyond the control of the trustees, the common 
council, against the remonstrances of the trustees, took 
the property for public use, and it was set apart as a 
square attached to the State Hall, about the year 1835. 
The property was appraised at §9,475, of which amount 
the church was assessed $1,545.14, or about one-sixth 
the whole amount of appraisal. In 18G8, when the old 
building came to be razed, it was found that the line on 
Pine street was 63 ft. 3in. in width, and on Steuben street 
but 57 feet, which was insufficient for the structure they 
wished to erect ; whereupon the trustees memorialized 
the common council for sufficient ground to lay their 
foundations and equalize the width of the lot on the west 
line ; which was granted to the extent of six feet on Pine 
street, and twelve on Steuben. 

The immigration of Lutherans from Europe had in- 
creased so much since 1808, when the services in German 
had been abandoned, that in 1834, Mr. Mayer found it 
necessary to resume services in that language on Sunday 
evenings, and occasionally during the week. After the 
erection of the Session-house in 1836, the Germans were 
regularly supplied with the word and ordinances in their 
mother tongue by the Rev. William Moellman, from 
Hanover, until he removed to Cincinnati, when Mr. 
Mayer kept up the services with more or less regularity* 



68 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

In 1841 j the increase of the German population continu- 
ing, and the inconvenience of holding services in two 
languages bearing heavily upon the growing infirmities 
of Mr. Mayer, it was deemed expedient to organize a 
separate congregation, which was done on the 8th Au- 
gust, of that year. " Early in 1842, by the effective aid of 
the mother church, and the kind liberality of the citizens 
of Albany, they were enabled to purchase a church edifice 
of a Methodist Society in State street above Swan, for 
$1,800, which was set apart on the 10th of May, with 
appropriate solemnities, for the worship of God in the 
German language, and is still so occupied by that con- 
gregation. The exodus of this portion of the society so 
affected the audiences of Mr. Mayer, that at the time of 
his decease in the autumn of 1842, the attendance upon 
the services was quite small. 

In 1843, the Rev. Henry N. Pohlman accepted a call 
from the congregation, and was installed on the 24th of 
September. He found about 56 in communion, which in 
1848 had increased to about 100. The church was seve- 
ral thousand dollars in debt, notwithstanding it owned, 
besides a church, session house and parsonage, the whole 
west side of Park street, from State to Lancaster, and 100 
feet on each of the latter streets. On this property the 
trustees had erected four brick houses on Lancaster street, 
and six on Park street ; the remainder of the lots were 
under long and very low leases, upon which stood very 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 69 

poor wooden tenements. The records show that it had 
been the policy of the trustees from the earliest times to 
rent their property for long terms, to ensure a reliable 
prospective income for the support of the church, and 
thus secure low pew rents. The revenues were conse- 
quently barely sufficient to maintain the pastor in the low- 
est state of penury, and the church edifice in the last 
stage of dilapidation. During the term of Dr. Pohlman, 
the repairs upon the property consumed so much of its 
income, and the pew rents being so low as to barely sup- 
port the expenses of the organ and choir, the spectre of 
an increasing debt loomed up before the trustees. The 
church was also out of repair, and needed renovation. 
The audience sat boxed up in high pews, after the style 
of a past age, under a rent of $5 a pew. It was finally 
determined to reseat the church, upholster the seats, and 
repaint and remodel the interior, which was done at an 
expense of upwards of $6 ; 000. A fire having burned 
down the houses on State street, the tenants relinquished 
their leases, and the trustees sold off sufficient property 
to relieve the church of debt; the pew rents were raised 
to $3 a sitting, the remaining property was put in such 
condition as to produce an increased income ; yet, sad to 
confess, the pastor reduced his annual salary $250, to 
meet the last exigency. The era of a decent liberality 
in church expenditure had only begun to dawn upon the 
city, and single dollars were doled out with a reluctance 



70 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

that, it is pleasant to reflect, we no longer see so many 
instances of. Progression had so much, exceeded the 
anticipations of the builders of the church, in the course 
of thirty years, that notwithstanding all the renovations 
and appliances it was possible to give it, and the beauty 
of its location, it was so far behind the age, and so out- 
stripped by the other churches of the city, that it became 
neglected, and its members emigrated by families. In 
the autumn of 1867 the Rev. Dr. Pohlman resigned the 
charge of the congregation, over which he had presided 
with dignity and ability, twenty-four years. 

In May, 1868, the Rev. Samuel P. Sprecher, of the 
Lutheran Church at Carlisle, Pa , was called to preside 
over the congregation, under whose preaching there was 
immediately a great accession of numbers, and the capa- 
city of the church was inadequate to accommodate the au- 
dience. The trustees therefore determined to erect a new 
edifice, and to make the experiment of selling off the 
remainder of the real estate, and investing the proceeds, 
together with all that could be obtained by subscriptions, 
in a structure that should be in keeping with the degree 
of advancement which church architecture had attained • 
trusting by the blessing of God, and an awakening spirit 
of liberality in the congregation, to achieve success in 
placing one of the most ancient Christian institutions in 
the city upon a sound basis and a successful career. 
Accordingly the old church was removed, and prepara- 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 71 

tions made for another on a much larger scale. The 
remaining houses and lots belonging to the society, situ- 
ated on Park street, were sold for §50,000, subscriptions 
to the amount of $21,000 were obtained principally among 
the members of the congregation, and a church, 69 by 126 
feet, was erected at a cost of $85,000. It was dedicated on 
the 26th January, 1871, and its pews were rented upon 
a system of voluntary terms, by which occupants were 
accommodated with seats at such prices as they thought 
they could afford to pay j the design being to meet the 
objections by many offered to attendance upon church 
services, that the prices of seats excluded them from places 
of public worship. 

On the 30th of January, the first day on which the 
church was opened for the purpose, 75 pews were taken 
at an annual rental of over $3,000. 

The whole number of pews in the church is 162, of which 
120 are now rented. The following is a list of those who 
hold pews in the church at the present time : 

D. B. Ackley, Isaac Bratt, 

Charles Ague, Robert Bruce, 

Edward Ague, Mrs. E. Burt, 

Mrs. H. A. Albertson, George K Collier, 

William N. Armitage, William Campbell, 

J. B. Armour, George Canaday, 

A. V. Bensen, David Caswell, 

Thomas A. Branion, William Chandler, 



72 



HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH. 



M. F. Cookingham, 
J. Cough try, 
Miss Maria Crauclall, 
P. C. Crounse, 
Louis Dasch, 
George W. Davy, 
P. W. Dedrick, 
D. F. Denton, 
Miss Belle Dunster, 
Charles W. Falke, 
Henry Falke, 
William H. Falke, 
Henry Fawdrey, 
Miss A. M. Feltman, 
Thomas Fielding, 
Mrs. Mary Flagler, 
Peter Foland, 
John Fredendall, 
L. D. Fredendall, 
Philip Frederick, 
Albert Gallup, 
Martin Gorgus, 
Miss A. E. Garling, 
Miss Mary Gates, 
Mrs. S. M. Godden, 
Miss H. Goodrich, 
Mrs. Haines, 
C. B. Hallenbeck, 
Martin Happell, 
A. F. Haverley, 
Mrs. David Hotaling, 



C. E. Jenkins, 

George Jenkins, 

Joseph H. Kennedy, 

J. Keim. 

A. A. Keyser, 

Mrs. Benj. Kirker, 

John W. Knickerbocker, 

Abram Lawyer, 

Thomas S. Lloyd, 

J. L. Lochner, 

W. L. Meacler, 

Walter V. Many, 

William Many, 

T. McBride, 

William H. McNaughton, 

Miss M. A. Meigs, 
H. E. Mereness, 
Henry T. Mesick, 
John J. Miller, 
Joel Munsell, 
W. C. Myers, 
Jacob F. Mynders, 
Theresa Noltze, 
Henry Newman, 
Mrs. Cornelia Norton, 
David J. Norton, 
R. J. Patten, 
Jacob D. Pohlman, 
Mrs. F. W. Pruyn, 
Miss Susie Pitcher, 
Walter H. Quackenboss, 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



73 



Mrs. Roberts, 
Henry H. Rose, 
Henry Sann, 
Isaac Schell, 
G. W. Scholl, 
David Scott, 
Adam Scrafford, 

E. C. Schaffer, 
P. J. Shaffer, 
Sylvester Shaffer, 
Misses Shaw, 
Henry Smith, 
Seneca S. Smith, 
David Spraker, Jr., 
Rev. S. P. Sprecher, 
Mrs. M. E. Stadtler, 
T. Sullivan, 

Miss Switzer, 

F. TV. Teitz, 

Mrs. John A. Traver, 
William Turner, Jr., 



C. E. Van Aerman, 

C. H. Van Aernam, 

Thomas Van Aernam, 

Mrs. Julia Vandemore, 

A. Van Meter, 

Jasper Van Wormer, 

Simon Vine, 

Harmin Visscher, 

A. B. Voorhees, 

J. H. Waggoner, 

Eli Warner, 

E. S. Werner, 

Mrs. Elizabeth Westfall, 

Lewis Wetmore, 

J. H. Wetsel, 

C. F. Wheeler, 

Hiram Wheeler, 

Mrs. Catharine Whipple, 

Henry Wilkins, 

Frank Wooster, 

Mrs. Lany Wright. 



The church edifice, which had been about two years 
in the process of construction, was finished in January, 
1871, and was dedicated on the evening of the 26th. 
Snow had fallen all day, and the weather was quite incle- 
ment; notwithstanding which an audience gathered to 
witness the ceremonies that filled the church. The prayer 
of invocation was offered by the Rev. J. H. Heck, of 
9 



74 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

Schoharie ; the hymn was read by the Rev. William 
Hull of Athens ; then followed the consecration service, 
by the Rev. Henry N. Pohlman, D.D. ; the Rev. F. W 
Conrad, of Philadelphia, preached from Isaiah ii, 3, an 
eloquent and appropriate discourse ; at the close of which 
he made an appeal to the members of the church in aid 
of the building fund, which resulted in subscriptions to 
the amount of nearly $6,000, in addition to previous 
sums derived from the congregation principally, for that 
purpose. Mr. J. Augustus Reed presided at the organ, 
and with a selected choir conducted the musical services 
with his usual earnestness and good taste. A considerable 
number of clergymen were present from the other Pro- 
testant churches of the city. All the appointments of 
the church were in admirable keeping; the warming and 
lighting being found perfect, and the furniture and fres- 
coing showing to the best advantage under the three 
chandeliers, which supplied the entire light of the au- 
ditorium. 



Description of the Church Edifice. 

The following condensed description of the church 
was published in the Albany Argus at the time of the 
dedication : 

The seventh ward of this city has made great strides 
in church building and church restoration during the 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 75 

last few years, and the last we have to chronicle is the 
First Lutheran Church. 

The executive committee was composed of the Rev. S. 
P. Sprecher, Jasper Van Wormer, Joel Munsell, and P. 
Foland. The work was carried on under the direction of 
Thomas E. Norman, architect, of the firm of Norman & 
Treadwell, and the following contractors erected the build- 
ing : Janies Ballentine, mason; A. Boyle, plastering; J. 
Kennedy, Jr., carpenter ; M. J. Durkin, church furniture 
and carving; C. Belcher & Son, stained glass ; Ira Porter, 
painting; Tucker and Crawford, gas fitting; J. W. 
Osborn & Co., slating; H. D. Ostermoor & Co., upholstery; 
E. Mickle and Ira Porter, polychrome work; Doyle 
& Dugan, plumbing; McMurray & Co., cut stone, and 
G. N. Andrews, of Utica, the organ. 

This church, for those whose sympathies are with 
modern or Protestant thought, is in design, in interior, 
the type which is the natural one for those to whom a 
church is simply a meeting place for worship, communion 
and spiritual instruction, built for all men alike, who 
need to be reminded of forgotten duties and neglected 
possibilities, of hopes and ambitions loftier, by which 
daily existence is apt to be engrossed. 

Modern religious architecture, reflecting modern reli- 
gious thought, is realized in this building, and the archi- 
tect has produced a church which the Protestant mind 
can claim as distinctly its own. The congregation is noj 



76 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

shut out from the service by means of naive columns, 
neither is the hearing marred by them or lofty clere- 
story. The dwelling place conforms to and shows forth 
the spirit within, and all attempt of the borrowed dress 
which Protestantism contrives somewhat awkwardly to 
wear, when invested with the former coverings of Catho- 
licism, is avoided in the New Lutheran Church. An 
architecture has been developed of its own, suffused with 
the feelings of its founders, and which, after they have 
passed away, will tell what they hoped for and loved, 
what they believed and what they sought. 

In 1868, competitive designs were submitted to the 
trustees for their new edifice by the firms of Nichols & 
Brown and Norman & Treadwell, both embodying ideas 
of great merit. The latter firm were the successful 
architects, and from that time the work progressed until 
its completion, with all dispatch consistent with its pro- 
per construction, and the corner stone was laid 14th July, 
1869, in the north-east buttress of the church. 

The entire building covers an area of 126 feet by 69 
feet, divided into basement and auditorium, and the gene- 
ral character of the design is early English. The base- 
ment floor is divided into furnace and coal rooms at either 
end ; lecture room 64 by 54 feet, seating about 500 persons, 
furnished with reversible seats, grained in imitations of 
walnut and oak. The pulpit platform is at the south 
end. This room is partitioned off from the parlor and 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 77 

infant class room (each respectively 25 by 24 feet), by a 
sliding sash, thus allowing the whole area to be thrown 
into one spacious room when necessity demands it. 
Although the west or park side is on an average of nine 
feet below the ground level, by engineering science ample 
light is obtained and resistance secured against the steady 
pressure of the clay bank by arches or revetement walls. 
Through a very neat early English porch is the inlet to 
the lecture room in Lodge street, the doors painted in olive 
green. A peculiarity in the masonry is a vertical joint di- 
viding the keystone in the arches to the basement open- 
ings, which is an example of pure Gothic. The auditorium 
is 90 by 54 feet, and is approached from Pine street by a 
flight of Ohio-stone steps, eleven in number, to a tiled 
floor vestibule, having a pretty groined ceiling. On the 
south wall of the auditorium, an arcade is run from east 
to west forming ten panels, containing the Mosaic Laws. 
This is a beautiful example of medical work, and the 
artist has carried out the architect's train of ideas in a 
very artistic manner. This portion of the work was exe- 
cuted by Mr. Porter. 

At the north end of this room is the pulpit platform 
or sanctuary, having the organ immediately in its rear, 
and elevated some six feet above it. On the lower plat- 
form is placed the Communion table. The pulpit desk and 
chairs are exceedingly handsome, these again, with the 
railing and newel posts being very pure and studied con- 



78 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

ceptions of mediaeval work. The organ case, 22 feet 
across, is quite novel, got out of walnut and chestnut, 
and only speaking pipes showing, these being illuminated 
in gold and colors of chaste design. The organ has two 
manuals — compass C C to A, 58 notes ; compass of pe- 
dale C C G to D, 27 notes. In the great organ is the 
double open diapason, 16 feet metal, 12 inches diameter. 
All stops run through. This instrument, undoubtedly, 
is the grandest and finest two bank organ on the conti- 
nent, both in specification and workmanship, and reflects 
great credit on Western New York. The sanctuary arch 
is very elaborately moulded, while corbels representing 
Luther's head, or mask, support the shafts, which again 
are surmounted by ornate capitals. Over the arch is 
inscribed on a ribband, the text " God so loved the world 
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believed in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting 
life." The ceiling is divided into panels by heavily 
moulded wooden ribs resting on stone corbels, and the 
panels finished in polychromatic work on blue ground. 
The colors separately are violent, but together blend in per- 
fect harmony. This portion of the work has been treated 
elaborately, and to increase the effect a groined ceiling is 
formed over the transept, to answer two purposes ; beauty 
in design and perfection in acoustics. The side walls of 
the audience room are 30 feet high, and the ceiling 43 
feet in the centre from the floor. Three Jacobson & 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 79 

Mabie pendant reflectors light the room, while imme- 
diately over them are ventilators constructed in the ceiling. 
The pastor's study is in the northwest corner, twelve by 
thirteen feet, and very cheerful, being located on the park 
side and warmed by grate fire. The tower and spire are 
conjointly about 150 feet above the ground, and on the 
southwest corner is a very pretty example of turret, with 
a quaint idea of one of the walls carried upon a column 
surmounted by bold capital and cbrbel. The materials 
used in the exterior, where coursed rubble is, is of Bene- 
dict's blue stone, and all ashlar of Ohio and Connecticut 
sand stone. Brick, of local manufacture, laid in English 
bond, with white mortar for the walls above the water 
table. Communication exists between the two floors, by 
stairs in the tower and lobby. The roof is supported by 
king-post trusses and queen-post truss over the transept, 
and exhibits the architect's thorough knowledge of fram- 
ing. The auditorium contains 162 pews, constructed 
of walnut and chestnut, capable of seating 750 persons. 
The church cost about $85,000, while the ground or lot 
is valued at $50,000, making the grand total value of the 
property, $135,000. In conclusion, the harmony of 
colors in the ceiling, the elegant reflectors, the cheerful 
colors of the upholstery and carpets, the rich colors of the 
walnut and chestnut woods, the handsome organ case, and 
the exquisite taste displayed in every detail of the build- 
ing, form a combination which has a most pleasing, 



80 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

almost enchanting effect upon the visitor on entering the 
auditorium. 



The trustees and congregation now had the satisfaction 
of seeing their ancient church placed upon a footing and 
taking a position which it was entitled to hold as the 
second church organization in point of time, in the city, 
and the oldest Lutheran congregation in this country. 
For the churches founded by the Swedes on the Delaware, 
which might have disputed our claim, have all passed 
into the Protestant Episcopal church; and although there 
may have been a congregation in New York as early as 
our own, we had a church edifice full twenty years earlier 
than they, and furthermore they failed to preserve their 
distinct existence. After the destruction of their church 
building in 1776, they fused with another congregation, 
and both afterwards lost their identity. So that there 
remains none to dispute our claim to being the oldest 
Lutheran church in America. May the society never 
lose confidence in what may be done under the divine 
favor by the exercise of resolute energy and perseve- 
rance, in its future career. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 81 



Sunday School Celebration. 

On the 1 1 tli June, 1871, the fifty-first anniversary of 
the Sunday School was celebrated, by public exercises, 
the first ceremony of the kind in the history of the 
school. It was organized in 1820, with 15 scholars, by 
the enterprise of Miss Elisabeth Pohlman, now Mrs. 
James McClure, who was present on this occasion. In 
two years from its origin it had increased to 130 scholars, 
two of whom committed to memory the whole New Tes- 
tament and the Psalms. The school continued barely to 
maintain its existence until a year previous to this anniver- 
sary, when under the active efficiency of Mr. Sylvester 
Shaffer, the superintendent, and his assistants, it was 
reorganized, and now consisted of 33 teachers and 304 
scholars. 

List of Communicants. 

Immediately upon the incorporation of the society, a 
book was provided for registering the communicants, the 
baptisms, and the marriages. There are no pastoral records 
extant previous thereto. The first communion was ad- 
ministered on the 28th May, 1786 ; the first baptisms in 
1784; and the first marriages in 1794. The society was 
evidently in a feeble condition, at this time, and without 
a church ; the number at the first communion being but 
10 



82 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

eight, and the Rev. Heinrich Moeller was the pastor. 
The number of pewholders was but 39. When it is 
considered that the population of the city was less than 
3,000 whites, the feebleness of this church is not so much 
to be remarked. Besides, it was composed principally of 
German immigrants, who were not permanent residents, 
but were seeking agricultural locations in all directions ; 
for which reason many of them appear but once upon 
the record. The names of those who communed are given 
at every administration of the sacrament, and the largest 
number present at any one time under the Rev. Mr. 
Moeller was 20. On the 21st November, 1790, after Mr. 
Moeller had departed, 1 the Rev. Mr. Schwertfeger, of 
Hoosick, officiated to 11 members; on the 28th August, 
1791, the Rev. Mr. Groetz administered the sacrament to 
50 ; on the second Sunday after Trinity, the Rev. J. F. 
Ernst and 27 communicants were present; on the 
eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 1793, 50 were present; 
on Pinkster Sunday, June 8, 1794, the Rev. A. T. Braun 



1 The Rev. Henry Moeller was born in Hamburgh, Germany ; 
came to this country at an early period of his life ; devoted him- 
self to the study of theology; Served as a chaplain in Gen. 
Washington's army during the war of the Revolution, and 
afterwards was stationed as pastor in various Lutheran congre- 
gations, both in New York and Pennsylvania. He served the 
church at Sharon, Schoharie county, sixteen years, and died 
there Sept. 17, 1829, aged 80. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 83 

held his first communion, and 43 were present; and on 
April 25, 1795, there were 62 present. Eev. Mr. Moeller 
returned in 1800, and continued till 1806; his records 
show no increase in membership. The Rev. Frederick 
G. Mayer records his first administration of the com- 
munion service on the 27th Dec, 1807, on which occasion 
22 were present. For several years little or no increase 
is exhibited, until 1820, when forty are recorded ; in 1823 
there were 56. Very few entries were made by Mr. 
Mayer after 1823 till Easter, 1831, when 72 names are 
recorded, and on 5th Jan. 1834, 117 were present. This 
was the last list of communicants entered by Mr. Mayer, 
although he continued in the pastorate till 1842. The 
Rev. Dr. Pohlman records the names of 56 on the 
register, as the membership which he found on assuming 
the charge of the congregation in September, 1843. 
There were 174 admitted to membership during his pas- 
torate from 1843 to 1867, yet when his successor entered 
upon office in 1868, but 57 were found in communion. 
The number in communion at this time is about 175. 

The following list of admissions to membership is 
gleaned from the books of record beginning 1786 and 
extending down to the present time. Undoubtedly a 
considerable number of persons who joined the church 
from time to time were not recorded, although it would 
seem that great pains were for a long time taken to keep 
the lists accurately down to 1834, each communicant 



84 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



being entered on each, occasion, and numbered. The list 
has been made up under many difficulties, arising from 
the illegibility of the records, and the different ortho- 
graphy of the same names as written by different pastors \ 
but is as substantially complete and correct as it seems 
possible to make it. 



Members in Communion. 



1786- 

1801 Maria Abbott. 
1803 Marianna Abbot. 
1788 Mrs. Abbot. 
1833 Wilhelm Abel. 
1833 Christina Abel (Catha- 
rine ?). 

1823 Christian Ableman. 
1827 Christina Ableman. 
1843 Elizabeth B. Ableman. 
1822 Helena Ableman. 

1824 Kegina Ableman. 
1871 Louisa Ackerman. 

1870 David Ackley. 

1871 Carrie Agne. 
1855 Charles Agne, 
1855 Mary his wife. 
1871 Mary J. Agne. 
1826 Sophia Aims. 
1870 Mrs. H. Albertsen. 
1870 Fannie E. Albertsen. 



1871. 

1820 Rebecca Allison. 
1797 Leonard Amslinger. 
1794 Nicolaus Anders. 
1833 Mary Ankenger. 
1852 Charlotte Archer. 
1852 Mary Archer. 
1850 Phebe Ann Archer. 
1850 Susan Archer. 
1786 Jost Asbaar. 
1833 Albert Baer. 
1871 Mary E. Baker. 
1871 Mrs. Mary E. Baker. 

Margaretli Blumenthal. 
1833 Hanna Rosina Barehens. 
1833 Nicholas Barehens. 
1791 Elizabeth Bark, 
1823 Magdalena Barkley. 
1831 Sally Barr. 
1804 Christian Bar tram. 
1786 Margaretta Basler. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



85 



1789 Bernhard Bauer. 


1816 


1833 Maria Bauer. 




1794 Philip Jacob Bauer. 


1820 


1794 Christina his wife. 


1846 


1829 Balinda Baumus. 


1846 


1863 Eliza De Witt Beardsley. 


1788 


1833 Adam Becker. 


1788 


1794 Christopher Becker. 


1788 


1833 Elizabeth Becker. 


1788 


1833 Anna Catharine Becker. 


1833 


1833 Conrad Becker. 


1795 


1833 Dorothea Becker. 


1792 


1833 John Becker. 


1849 


1833 Frederick Becker. 


1820 


1790 Philip Becker. 


1794 


1815 Andrew Beller. 


1796 


1815 Hannah Beller. 




1845 Martha Belden. 


1853 


1845 Selah Belden. 


1802 


1801 Andreas Bender. 


1833 


1793 Christian Bender. 


1833 


1793 Elizabeth his wife. 


1793 


1795 George Bender. 


1786 


1795 Anna Barbara his wife. 


1786 


1843 Justus Bender. 




1796 Barbara Bender aged 22. 


1786 


1796 Sara Bender, aged 16. 


1856 


1796 Wendel Bender, aged 19. 


1859 


1812 Henry F. Benne. 


1864 


1815 Clarissa his wife. 


1833 


1833 Frederick Benner. 


1870 



Anna Frederica Bennin- 

ger. 
Mary Benninger. 
Geo. W. Benjamin. 
Adelina his wife. 
Andreas Benter. 
Jorgen Benter. 
Christina Benter. 
Elsje his wife. 
Gottlieb Berdux. 
Mrs. Catharina Berger. 
Catharine Berringer. 
Catharine Berringer. 
Mary Bertholon. 
Conrad Betz, died 1796. 
Mrs. Maria Charlotte 

Bewins. 
Harriet Bigelow. 
Margaret Bishop. 
Ruppert Bishop. 
Loisa Bishop. 
Margareth Blumenthal. 
Catharina Sophia Bohm. 
Christopher Friedrich 

Bohm. 
Viduati, his wife. 
Andrew Bonner. 
Eliza Bonner. 
Mary Bonner. 
George Botz. 
George Botts. 



86 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1870 Mary E. Boyce. 


1794 Catharine Barbara, his 


1833 Catharine Brabender. 


w T ife. 


1833 Frederick Brackman. 


1787 Maria Burges. 


1820 Adriaan Bradt. 


1831 Edward Burt. 


1820 Elizabeth Bradt. 


1831 Mary his wife. 


1347 Elizabeth Bradt. 


1870 Jane Ann Burt. 


1816 Francis J. Bradt. 


1868 Mary Burt. 


1813 Margaret Bradt. 


1793 Mary Butz. 


1833 George Bramm. 


1796 Mrs. Catharine Elizabeth 


1833 Luisa Bramm. 


Butz. 


1794 Anton Friedrick Braun. 


1791 Thomas Butz. 


Maria, his wife. 


1794 Maria Catharine his wife 


1786 Gothilf Friedrick Braun. 


1797 Mrs. Anna Margaretha 


1797 Magdalena Braun, a. 16. 


Cammel. 


1802 Maria Braun. 


1869 William Campbell. 


1803 Wilhelmus Braun, 


1869 Eliza, his wife. 


1843 Gertrude Bridges. 


1871 Wallace Canaday. 


1834 Elizabeth Brockman. 


1869 Mrs. Hannah Carknerd. 


1834 Frederick Brockman. 


1849 Thomas Carson. 


1788 Maria Bromley. 


1871 Mrs. Ann T. Caswell. 


1816 Mary Brown. 


1797 Philip Chambers. 


1850 John Bruechner. 


1871 William Chandler. 


1850 Catharine, his wife. 


1871 Margaret his wife. 


1852 Mary Brustner. 


1792 Hannah Childs. 


1810 John Lewis Buckholtz. 


1869 Abbie A. Churchill. 


1850 Jesse Buel. 


1869 Richard H. Clare. 


1850 Mary E. his wife. 


1788 Peter von Cochnut, 


1831 C. Burdt. 


1824 Elizabeth Cole. 


1794 Mrs. Catharina Burger. 


1822 Henry Cole. 


1794 Christian Ludwig 


1843 Ann Collier. 


Burgers. 


1869 George N. Collier. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



u 



1869 Mary E. his wife. 
1827 Susanna Cook. 

1870 Merrit F. Cookingham. 

1870 Mary his wife. 

1843 Mary Magdalena Coons. 
1843 William Coons, and wife. 
1858 Catharine Coughtry. 

1871 Kitty Coughtry. ' 
1870 Maria Crandell. 
1819 Christiana Craver. 
1792 Maria Criiger. 

1792 Bernhard Dalheimer. 
1870 Louis Dasch. 

1870 Henrietta, his wife. 
1852 Rachel Damn. 
1852 William Damn. 
1856 Elizabeth Davis. 
1854 Levi Dederick. 
1854 Maria, his wife. 
1850 Mary Eliz. Dempsey. 

1794 Johan Demeters. 

1871 Durant T. Denton. 
1843 Christina De Young. 
1833 Henry Dick. 

1833 Dick. 

1795 Johannes Diedrich. 

Carlotta his wife. 
1786 Christoph Friedrich Die- 

fenhach. 
1788 Maria his wife. 

1796 Mrs. Eliz. Philysina Doll 
1790 Mrs. Eva. Domann. 



1804 Elizabeth Dorr. 

1850 Sarah Ann Duboise. 
1871 Belle Dunster. 
1854 Mary Dunster. 
1844 Catharine Easton 

1793 Mrs. Anna Dorothea Ed- 
ler. 

1805 Elizabeth Edwards. 
1787 Johan Christian Ehring. 
1787 Margaretha his wife 
1843 Jacob Eikoff. 

1843 Frederica his wife. 
1786 Mrs. Margaretha Enax. 
1851 Paul Engel. 

1851 Amy his wife. 
1799 Friederich Ernst. 
1829 Fack. 

1844 Mary Falconer. 
1864 Charles Wm. Falke. 
1864 Henrietta C. Falke. 
1843 Henry Falke. 

1843 Charlotte A. his wife. 
1793 Johannes Falkner. 
1814 John Fellers. 

1814 Sarah Fellers. 

1843 Anna Maria Feltman. 
1851 Hannah Catharine Felt- 
man. 
1813 John C. Feltman. 

1815 Sarah, his wife. 
1823 Frederick Fetherly. 
1823 Mary Ann Fetherly. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1871 Mrs. Mattie Fielding. 
1831 John G. Fiessler. 
1831 Regina Fiessler. 
1803 John Heinrich Fisscher. 
1850 Mrs. Mary Flagler. 
1869 George Flashover. 
1869 Belle Foland. 
1860 Elizabeth Foland. 
1848 James Foland. 
1869 Peter Foland. 
1845 Andrew Foley. 
1791 Henry Foss. 
1831 Sarah Ann Franklin. 
1795 Nicholas Fred. 
1828 Catharine Fredenburg. 
1828 Eleonora Fredenburg. 
1820 James Fredenburg. 
1820 Jane Fredenburg. 
1828 Maria Fredenburg. 
1871 Emma Fredendall. 
1844 John Fredendall. 
1844 Rebecca his wife. 
1871 Leonard D. Fredendall. 
1869 Philip Frederick. 
1795 Mrs. Maria Friedericks. 
1791 Christina Freitag. 
1788 Conrad Freitag. 
1788 Engeltie Freitag. 
1794 Johan C. Friedenreich. 
1794 Eva his wife. 
1819 Frederick Friedenthal. 
1819 Rebecca Friedenthal. 



1843 Charles Sydney Frink. 
1843 Jane his wife. 
1848 Martha Frink. 
1803 Wilhelmus Fuhr. 
1797 MargarethGadiken,al5. 
1791 William Gaffers (or Gef- 
ferd). 
Margaret E. Gallup. 
1797 Christopher Gardner. 
1797 Sophia his wife. 
1796 Margaret Gardiner, a 15. 
1831 Amelia Garling. 
1858 Annie E. Garling. 
1820 J. Bernhard Garling. 

1819 Catharine his wife. 
1843 Catharine Garling. 
1858 Jennette Garling. 
1793 Heinrich Gedecke. 
1793 Maria his wife. 
1831 Jacob Geist. 

1831 Anna Margaretha Geist* 
1793 Mrs. Catharina Gern- 

reich, wife of Win. 
1808 Annah Geyer. 
1828 Christina Geyer. 
1786 John George Geyer. 
1786 Susanna, his wife. 

1816 Rebecca Geyer. 

1820 Elizabeth Gibbon. 
1795 Mrs. Anna Giles. 
1799 Mrs. Christina Giles. 

1817 John D. Giraud. 



HISTOKY OF THE CHURCH. 



89 



1871 Mrs. Susan M. Godden. 


1819 E. Hager. 


1816 C. Goldsbey. 


1862 Rebecca Hager. 


1846 Elizabeth A. Goinbel. 


1819 Elizabeth Harney. 


1844 Frederick C. Gombel. 


1843 Mary Elizabeth Hainey, 


1844 Mary Gombel. 


(Stadtler). 


1859 Amelia Gompli. 


1833 Christian Haintz. 


1843 Harriet Goodrich. 


1833 Maria Haintz. 


1849 John Goodrich. 


1816 Maria Hallam. 


1820 Margaret Goodrich. 


1870 Cornelius Hallenbeck. 


1833 Sophia Goodwyne. 


1819 Lawrence Hallenbeck. 


1865 Martin Gorgus. 


1819 Elizabeth Hallenbeck. 


1794 Benjamin Goz. 


Merlin J. Hallenbeck. 


1799 Heinrich Graham. 


1843 Sarah Ann Hallenbeck. 


1848 Margaret Grant, 


1820 Catharine Ham. 


1818 Catharine Graves. 


1794 Jacob Ham. 


John A. Graves. 


1820 Mr. Ham. 


Sarah Louisa his wife. 


1820 Mrs. Ham. 


1819 Mr. Graves. 


1820 Peter Ham. 


1817 John G. Greiner. 


1871 Mrs. Susanna Hane. 


1817 Maria Greiner. 


1833 Christian Hanneker. 


1796 Johan Michael Greiner, 


1869 Martin Happell. 


(written also Kreiner). 


1869 Anna Maria his wife. 


1802 Maria Charlotta his wife. 


1818 Mrs. E. Hardick. 


1833 Elizabeth Gross. 


1833 Heinrich Hart, 


1833 Henry Gross. 


1871 Helen J. Hart, 


1788 Johannes Gross. 


1831 Anna M. Hartman. 


1870 Charles W. Guffin. 


1829 Johann Hartman. 


1794 Frederick Guther. 


1829 Maria Hartman. 


1789 Maria Haag (Hauk). 


1789 John Christopher Hart- 


1789 Christopher Haag. 


wick partook of the 


1833 Hagestoltz. 


Sacrament, 


1835 Maria Hagestoltz. 
11 


1831 CatharinaHauck(Haag). 



90 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1831 Johannes Haupt. 


1792 


Mrs. Ellie Haverly. 




1849 Chester Hayden. 


1816 


1849 Lydia his wife. 


1803 


1849 Jane L. Hayden. 


1831 


Mrs. Susan Hayne. 


1820 


1819 Philip C. Hayner. 


1833 


1819 Jane Hayner. 


1833 


1788 Johanna Dorothea Heath 


1788 


(Hitt). 


1831 


1787 Martin Hebeysen. 


1831 


1833 Christian Hederich. 


1833 


1833 Catharine his wife. 


1833 


1833 Philip B. Heinrich. 


1787 


1831 Ann Christina Herman. 


1790 


1811 Gertrude Henderer. 


1855 


1795 Herman us Henderer, 


- 1787 


aged 27. 


1811 


1787 Jacob Henderer. 


1787 


1795 Jacob Henderer, aged 26. 


1826 


1794 Margaret his w T ife. 


1788 


1811 Jacob Henderer, Jr. 


1788 


1843 Julia Ann Henderer. 


1786 


1831 Mahela Henderer. 




1813 Margaret Henderer, Jr. 


1798 


1788 Mary Henderer. 


1798 


1795 Mrs Margaret Henderer, 


1846 


aged 18. 


1846 


1843 Myers Henderer. 


1843 


1802 Rebecca Henderer. 


1795 


1799 Sally Henderer, aged 15. 


1795 


1791 Samuel Henderer. 


1795 



Dorothea his wife. 
Margaret Hendes. 
David Hendricks. 
Michael Henn. 
Christian Henrich. 
John Gottlieb Hensler. 
Christian Henry. 
Jacob Henry. 
Maria Henry. 
Philip J. Hertzog. 
Anna Catharina Hertzog. 
Catharine Herzog. 
Christian Herzog. 
Anna Maria Herzberger. 
Eegina Hertzberger. 
Winfield S. Hevenor. 
Elizabeth Hewson. 
Rebecca Hickson. 
John Hildebrand. 
Paul Hochstrasser. 
Christina Hoffman. 
Mrs. Hoffman. 
Johann Friedrich Hoff- 
man. 
John Hoffman. 
Anna Maria his wife. 
Lucy Homer. 
William Patch Homer. 
Darcy Hoover. 
Christina Horn, aged 17. 
Johannes Matthias Horn. 
Charlotte his wife. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



91 



1831 Agnus Hoscli. 


1795 


1831 Philip Bernhardt Hosch. 


1695 


1831 William Hosch. 


1795 


1857 David I. Hotaling. 




1857 Ellen his wife. 


1820 


1833 Henry Hubbard. 


1833 


1854 Henry Hubbard. 


1833 


1854 Cynthia his wife. 


1833 


1786 Catharina Hunermund. 


1833 


1817 Matthew Huss. 


1833 


1790 Johannes Huth (Hood, 


1793 


Hutt). 




1794 Elizabeth his wife. 




1795 Elizabeth Huth, free- 




black, aged 18. 


1794 


1797 Dorothea Huth. 


1794 


1867 Eveline Jarvis. 


1793 


1869 Charles E. Jenkins. 


1793 


1869 Fannie A. Jenkins. 


1791 


1843 Mrs. Margaret Jenkins. 


1791 


1869 Mrs. Sarah Jenkins. 


1793 


1853 Eliza Jennings. 


1849 


1854 William Jennings. 


1849 


1843 Gertrude Jewell. 


1849 


1844 Maiia Jewell. 


1849 


1828 Hannah Joice. 


1849 


1788 Anna Joiles. 


1852 


1828 Mary Ann Jones. 


1849 


1790 Dorothea Jung. 


1831 


1796 Johan Georg Jung. 


1833 


1850 Dorothea A. Kaines. 


1829 


1820 Michael Kamp. 


1834 



Peter Kampf. 

Susanna Kampf. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Kampf, 
aged 50. 

Mr. Kampf. 

Catharine Kampfer. 

Catharine Kampfer, 2d. 

Johan Kampfer. 

Heinrieh Kampfer. 

Matthias Kampfer. 

Addreas Karcher aged 
18, These names writ- 
ten also Kirker, Kir- 
cher and Kerger. 

George Karcher. 

Maria Barbara his wife. 

Heinrieh Karcher. 

Barbara his wife. 

Jacob Karcher. 

Sara his wife. 

Johannes Karcher. 

Catherina Karner. 

George Karner. 

Maria his wife. 

Maria their daughter. 

Caroline Kastendeich. 

Harriet Kastendeich. 

Margaret Kastendeich. 

Catharina Kastendeich. 

Charlotta Kastendeich. 

Johan K. Kastendeich. 

Sophia Kastendeich. 



92 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1831 MagdalenaKastendeick. 
1820 E. Kellerhaus. 

1804 George Kellerhaus. 
1803 Lidia his wife. 
1793 Johan Kemp. 

1793 Susanna Kemp. 
1869 Gerdena Kempaus. 

1794 William Keffert (Gefferd 

and Gaffers). 
1863 Anna C. Kennedy. 
1861 John Chester Kennedy. 
1856 Joseph H. Kennedy. 
1858 Benjamin B. Kercher. 
1858 Sarah Jane his wife. 

1795 Mrs. Sara Kercher. 
1795 Mrs. Catharina Kercher. 
1795 Mrs. Christina Kercher. 
1803 David Kercher. 

1805 Silly (Cecilia) his wife. 
1803 Magdalena Kercher. 
1803 Geo. Heinrich Kercher. 
1818 Andrew Kerker. 

1818 Catharine Kerker. 
1794 Conrad Kerker. 

1794 Maria his wife. 

1795 Daniel Kerker. 
1818 Dorothea Kerker. 
1822 Evelina Kerker. 
1820 Henry Kerker. 
1820 George H. Kerker. 
1820 Jacob Kerker. 
1820 Sylvia Kerker. 



1818 Mary Kerker. 

Mrs. Christina Kerker. 
1803 Susannah Margareth 

Kerner. 
1871 Annie Keyser. 
1871 Mrs. Susie Keyser. 
1845 Mary Kidd. 
1815 Michael Kimmich. 
1792 Mrs. Christina Kerchner 

widow. 
1843 MaryKircher. 
1786 Elizabeth Klein. 
1810 Maria Klein. 
1820 Elizabeth Kleinsmith. 
1820 Lewis Kleinsmith. 
1871 Matthias Kline. 
1843 Elizabeth Kling. 
1843 Henry Madison Kling. 
1786 Johan George Kling. 
1833 Catharine Klink. 
1808 Christian Knauff. 
1799 Johann Gotlieb Knauff. 
1799 Clarina his wife. 
1871 John W.Knickerbocker. 
1871 Addie his wife. 
1850 Anna Maria Knight. 
1850 Emily Knight. 
1850 William Knight. 
1791 Johannes Knittel. 
1744 Peter Heinrich Knopf, 
1864 George W. Knowlton. 
1858 Sybil A. Knowlton. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



93 



1833 George Kosh. 


1783 Johan Leonhard. 


1843 Henry Kocli. 


1829 Christina Letzler. 


1833 Susannali Kolil. 


1829 Nicholaus Letzler. 


18.23 Catharine Kohlenberg. 


1829 Sophia Letzler. 


1798 [Johan] George Kohlen- 


1786 Klaus Lexo. 


berg. 


1795 Johann Jacob Lidic. 


1796 Sarah his wife. 


Peter Lisher. 


George Kohlenberg 2d. 


Lisher. 


1834 Louisa Kohler (Bramni). 


1869 Jacob L. Lochner. 


1833 Catharine Kohler. 


1869 Helen J. his wife. 


Mrs. Rosina Krank. 


1869 Mrs. Margaret Lodge. 


1788 Anna Maria Kreller, 


1869 Mrs. Mary E. Lockwood. 


widow. 


1786 Carl Friederich Londe- 


1852 Augustus De Wittiam 


grum. 


Kreuder. 


1795 Mrs. Magdalena Luk. 


1852 Charles H. Wittiam 


1793 Elizabeth Luther. 


Kreuder. 


1824 Esther McAuley. 


1813 Margaret Kuhler. 


1865 James B. ^McBain and 


1786 Friedrich Kuhler. 


wife. 


1787 Jacob Kummich, 


1869 David McBride. 


1871 Jannette La Grange. 


1869 Rachel his wife. 


1792 Omie La Grange. 


18.43 Magdalena A. McCor- 


1843 Mary Ann Lape. 


mick. 


1862 Kate P. Lathrop. 


1871 W. H. MciSTaughton. 


1831 Jane Lawson. 


1797 Mrs. Elizabeth Mcin- 


1860 Abram Lawyer. 


tosh, aged 20 . 


1860 Eva Ann his wife. 


1822 Eve Mcintosh. 


1865 Pascaline A. Le Due. 


Catharine Maher. 


1831 Elizabeth Leitzt. 


Jacob Maher. 


1831 Peter Leitzt. 


1795 Philip Maier. 


1786 Mrs. Ann Maria Lener. 


1795 Margaretha his wife. 


1788 Daniel Leonhard. 


1869 William V. Many. 



94 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1869 Elizabeth his wife. 


1831 Lot Merkel. 


1871 Ella Many. 


1802 Mathias Merkel. 


1871 Walter C. Many. 


1802 Maria his wife, 


1871 Catharine his wife. 


1845 Eliza Mesick. 


1870 H. E. Mereness. 


1852 Catharine Mesick. 


1848 Catharine Marker. 


1846 Margaret Mesick. 


1848 Jacob Marker. 


1833 Jacob Metz. 


1786 Catharina Marseilis. - 


1833 Johann Metz 


1786 Gerhardt Marseilis. 


1833 Maria Metz. 


1833 Johannes Maurer. 


1808 Jacob Meyer. 


1831 Catharine Mayer. 


1791 Maria Meyer widow. 


1822 Conrad S. Mayer. 


1792 Philip Meyer. 


1843 Cynthia Mayer. 


1792 Margaret his wife. 


1827 Diederick H. Mayer. 


1787 Nicolaus Michel. 


1827 Elizabeth Mayer. 


1787 Anna Barbara his wife. 


1831 Elizabeth Mayer, Jr. 


1871 John J. Miller. 


1807 Rev. Frederick Gh Mayer. 


1871 Caroline his wife. 


1829 Isabella M. Mayer. 


1816 James Milligan. 


1799 Jacob Mayers (Maiers). 


Friedrich Milstrich. 


1831 Magdalena Mayer. 


1787 Julianna Margaret ha 


1811 Margaret Mayer. 


Moeller, wife of pastor. 


1792 Maria Mayer. 


1803 Juliana Moeller (dau. 


1822 Maria Mayer 2d. 


pastor). 


1831 Mary Mayer. 


1798 Johannes Mogh. 


1843 Philip A. Mayer. 


1852 David Moir. 


1843 Cynthia Hubbard his wife 


. 1852 Elizabeth Ann Moir. 


1825 Theodora Mary Mayer. 


1811 Christopher Monk. 


1802 John Meder. 


1829 Henrietta Montgomery. 


1865 Mary Ann Meigs. 


1866 Mrs. Jennie Morange. 


1869 James B. Melrose. 


1858 Catharine Montross. 


1811 John G. Mentzel. 


1831 Carl Morscli. 


1794 Matthews Merckele. 


1786 Elizabeth Morris. 



HISTORY OP THE CHUECH. 



95 



1798 Johan Christian M tiller. 
1852 Mrs. Jane C. Munsell. 

1858 Mrs. Mary Ann Munsell. 
1869 Julia Annie Munsell. 
1833 George Mutz. 

1833 Margaretha Mutz. 
1825 Dederick H. C. Myer. 
1812 Jacob Myers. 

1871 W. H. Myers. 
1871 Kate his wife. 
1871 Franklin Myndert. 

1834 Johan C. Nordineyer. 
1871 George A. Nash. 
1857 Almira A. Nelson. 

Margaretha his wife. 
1787 Charles Newman. 

1859 Caroline Amanda Nel- 

son. 

1786 George Nestel. 

1787 Christina his wife. 
1849 Cordelia Newman. 
1820 Elizabeth Newman. 
1849 James Newman. 

1793 Maria Newman aged 19 . 
1831 Mary R. Newman. 
1797 Widow Anna Maria 

Newman. 
1834 Mary Ann Newhouse. 
1808 Catharine Niemeyer. 
1795 Heinrich Niemeyer. 
1799 John Niemeyer aged 17. 
1801 J. H. Niemeyer. 



1827 Louisa Niemeyer. 
1871 Theresa Noltze. 
1871 Mrs. A. Norton. 

1869 Mrs. Cornelia Norton. 

1814 Sophia O'Brien. 
1833 Anna Maria Obrist. 
1833 Jacob Obrist. 

1871 Thomas H. Oliver. 
1788 Mrs. Catharine Ostran- 

der (widow). 
1855 Peter Osterhout. 
1855 Margaret his wife. 
1333 Carl Otto. 

1870 Mrs. Susan P. Parsons. 
1829 Anna Maria Paul. 
1829 Jacob Paul. 

1797 Mrs. Maria Charlotte 

Pawin. 
1806 Dorothea Pebel. 

1833 George Pepler. 

1834 George Pepler Jr. 
1845 John H. Perkins. 
1833 Andreas Petersilge. 
1833 Frederick Petersilge. 
1833 Johan Andre Petersilge. 
1833 Maria Dorothea Peter- 
silge. 

1871 Susie Pitcher. 

1786 HansJorgen Plumwurk. 

1815 Maria Poley. 

1852 Caroline Cassidy Pohl- 



96 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1811 Christina Pohlman. 
1790 Daniel Pohlman. 
1793 Maria Newman his wife. 
1809 Daniel Pohlman Jr. 
1820 Mary his wife. 
1820 Elizabeth Pohlman. 
1795 Jacob Pohlman, aged 23. 
1850 Mary Malvina Pohlman. 
1820 Henry N. Pohlman. 
1843 Susan Pohlman. 
1870 Wealthy Ann Possum. 
1831 Henry Precht. 
1858 Mrs. Gertrude D. Pruyn. 
1803 Anna Maria Pulver. 
1829 Caroline Quackenboss. 
1845 Charles Quackenboss. 
1854 Eugene W. Quacken- 
boss. 
1829 Frederica E. Quacken- 



1843 Isabella Quackenboss. 
1861 Josephine Quackenboss. 
1859 Margaret L. Quacken- 
boss. 
1829 Walter Quackenboss. 
1807 Christian Baaff. 
1789 Christopher Baff. 
1789 Catharina his wife. 
1797 Freiderick Raff, elder. 
1795 Maria Baff aged 14. 
1793 Wilhelm Baff. 
1788 Christina his wife. 



1831 Christina Bamsbach. 
1831 Elias Bamsbach. 
1844 Ann Bamsey. 
1819 Catharine Bamsey. 
1844 Conrad Bamsey. 
1843 Maria Bamsey. 
1819 Frederick Bamsey. 

1819 G. Bamsey. 

1787 Mrs. Magdalena Bamsey . 
1833 Jacob H. Baper. 
1833 Margaretha Baper. 
1833 Susannah Baper. 
1787 Johannes Battenauer. 

1787 Massey his wife. 
1790 Mrs. Jacobus Battley. 
1860 William H. Bead. 
1843 Elizabeth Bector. 

1788 Mrs. Maria Bedley. 
1803 Friedrich Beuky. 

1833 Wellerich Bittschart. 

1834 Catharine Biell. 
1834 Friederich Biell. 

1820 John Biemann. 
1834 Gertrude Bing. 
1833 Levina Bing. 

1809 Lydia Bitterhouse, of 

ISTisketha. 
1794 Agatha Bolert. 
1862 Elizabeth Boberts. 
1831 Gottlieb (Theophilus). 

Boessle. 
1833 Jane his wife. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



97 



1843 Jane Roessle. 


1791 


1805 Herman Christopher 


1799 


Roff. 


1799 


1805 Maria his wife. 


1788 


1786 Alida Roller. 


1811 


1793 Andrew Roller. 


1851 


1793 Rebecca his wife. 


1833 


1793 Barbara Roller, aged 18. 


1833 


1854 Henry H. Rose. 


1831 


1854 Elsie his wife. 


1832 


1796 Jacob Ross. 




1794 Magdalena his wife. 


1829 


1797 Johannes Rpssenberg. 


1796 


1797 Anna his wife. 


1820 


1833 Dr. John B. Rossman. 


1811 


1833 Eliza Rossman. 


1831 


1833 Catharine Roth. 


1851 


1819 Henry Row. 


1799 


1791 Catharina Ruby, gestor- 


1829 


ben 29th Aug., 1794, 


1791 


aged 20. 


1791 


1795 Christina Ruby, aged 1 8. 


1833 


1791 Christopher Ruby. 


1794 


1795 Catharine his w T ife, a. 17. 




1799 Elizabeth Ruby, aged 16. 


1791 


1787 J ohan Conrad Ruby. 


1802 


1787 Sarah his wife (1807 


1833 


widow). 


1792 


1794 Johannes Ruby. 


1833 


1797 Margaret his wife. 


1820 


1799 Margareth Ruby, aged 


1833 


14. 


1833 


12 





Margaretha Ruby. 
Robert Ruby, aged 22. 
Eva his wife, aged 23. 
Sarah Ruby 2d. 
Sarah Ruby 3d. 
Emeline Russell. 
Johannes Rychten. 
Maria Rychten. 
Rebecca Sadlier. 
Mary Ann Sadlier of 

Johnstown. 
Mahala Sandford. 
Maria Carlotta Savins. 
Mrs.'Sax. 
Peter Sax. 
Catharine Schaeffer. 
George Schaenmeyer. 
Martin Scharfnoth. 
Johannes Schauffer. 
Friederick Scheele. 
Elizabeth his w 7 ife. 
Frantz Schleifer. 
Mrs. Anna Dorothea 

Schneider. 
Daniel Schneider. 
Johannes Schneider. 
Catharina Scherer. 
Elizabether Scherer. 
Jacob Scherer. 
Hanna Schertz. 
Christian Schierlinger. 
Joseph Schierlinger. 



98 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



1803 Sally Schoemaker. 
1865 Gustavus W. Sclioll. 
1791 Johannatie Scliotter. 
1796 Widow Schray. 
1833 Christina Scliroeder. 
1833 Henry Scliroeder. 
1794 Moris Anthony Schulze. 

1794 Johanna Melvina, his 

wife. 

1802 Elizabeth Schup. 
1817 Jacob Schwartzbach. 
1796 Albrecht Schwarzwalcl. 

1803 Augustinus Schwerdtfe- 

ger. 
1803 Maria his wife. 
1871 David Scott. 
1820 Susanna Scott. 
1820 William Scott. 
1871 Adam Scrafford. 
1871 Elizabeth his wife. 
1848 Jane E. Scrafford. 
1791 Henry Seaburgh. 
1843 Jacob Seager and wife. 
1843 Rebecca Seager. 

1795 Andreas Selig. 

1817 Frederick A. Shaefer. 
1864 Peter A. Shaffer. 
1864 Sarah his wife. 
1860 Sylvester Shaffer. 
Frederick Shalle. 
1820 Abraham Sharp. 
1820 Helena Sharp. 



1831 P. Sharp. 

1799 Dorothey Shedick, a. 20. 

Catharine Shell. 
1812 Elizabeth Shell. 

1869 Mrs. Esther Shell. 
1843 Margaret Shemper. 
1794 Anna Scheilds. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Shields. 

1788 Frederick Shields. 
1833 Jacob Shuck. 
1816 Peter Shufelt. 
1871 Rodman Shultus. 
1871 Margaret his wife. 

1789 John George Sibert. 
1794 Heinrich Siebourg. 
1835 Elizabeth Slingerland. 
1851 Amanda Smith. 

1871 Jane Ann Smith. 

1870 Mrs. C. A. Smith . 
1831 Thomas Smith. 
1818 Daniel Snyder. 
1843 Peter Snyder. 
1833 Frederick Soof. 
1801 Maria Spahn, widow. 
1794 Rev. Heinrich Ludolph 

Sparck, was present. 
1 868 Rev. Samuel P. Sprecher. 
1868 Sarah Louisa his wife. 
1833 Ludwig Spencer. 
1851 Baltus Springer. 
1851 Cecilia his wife. 
1851 Julia Springer. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



99 



1789 Rebecca Spoor. 

1849 Catharine Spurbeck. 

1869 Nellie Stadtler. 

1833 Elizabeth Steiner. 

1833 Frederick Steiner. 

1833 Johan Strempfel. 

1833 Johanna Strempfel. 

1797 David Sternberg, a, 18. 

1803 Jacob Sterling. 

1855 Margaret M. Stewart. 

1855 Wm, Augustus Stewart. 

1859 Jacob Stoetzel. 

1796 Justus Christian Stok- 
mann, M.D. 

1796 Caroline his wife, a. 19. 

1844 Elizabeth Ann Strick- 
land. 

1843 Catharine Strong. 

1833 Johannes Stumpf. 
1786 Frantz Stubs. 

1786 Jochim Friedrich Stutz. 
1871 Mrs. Sarah Sullivan. 
1815 Elizabeth Suppe. 
1861 John J. Swart. 
1854 Catharine Swartz. 
1858 David Swartz. 
1858 Hannah Swartz. 
1861 Hannah C. Sweitzer. 
1811 Thomas Swieting. 
1848 Eunice Talmage. 
1831 Jacob Tice. 

1834 Abraham TieL 



1833 AdamTiel. 

1870 Minnie Tietz. 

1795 Tiffany. 

1791 Mrs. Tillmann. 
1793 Johannes Thiese. 

1793 Maria his wife. 

1852 Samuel T. Thorburn. 
1852 Sarah his wife. 
1863 John A. Traver. 
1863 Sarah Louisa his wife. 
1869 Francis L. Traver. 

1859 Sarah Ann Tripp. 
1829 Catharine Turner. 

1843 Barbara Turner. 

1844 Barbara Ann Turner. 

1794 Heinrich Turks. 

1795 Bernhard Uhlein. 
1849 Jane Usher. 
1791 Hans Valentine. 

1869 Charles H. Van Aeruam. 

1871 Eddie Van Aernam. 

1860 Margaret Van Aernam. 
1869 Mrs. Isabella Van Aer- 
nam. 

1869 Mrs. Mary C. Van Aer- 
nam. 
1860 Thomas Van Aernam. 
1860 Mary Ann his wife. 
1809 Marg* Van Benthuysen, 
1815 Hannah Van Beuren. 
1795 Anna Van Bindhausen, 
1804 Cornells Van Deusen. 



LcfC. 



100 



HISTORY OP THE CHURCH. 



1804 Catharine his wife. 
1852 Catharine S. Van Dyck. 
1852 Henry H. Van Dyck. 
1852 Eliza Ann his wife. 
1825 Huldah Van Dyck. 
1822 Peter Van Dyke. 
1866 Isaac Van Woert. 
1866 Jane Ann his wife. 
1866 Jasper Van Wormer. 
1866 Mary Louisa his wife. 
1795 Mrs. Cecilia Verther. 
1786 Margaretha Vetter. 
1868 Simon Vine. 
1868 Mary S. his wife. 
1752 Catharine M. Voorhis. 
1817 Catharine Vrooman. 
1791 Andreas Wagner. 
1786 Mrs. Catharine Wagner. 
1835 Catharine Wagner. 
1825 John P. Wagner. 
1833 Joseph Wagner. 

1791 Maria Wagener. 
1833 Christian Wallrath. 
1833 Wilhelmina Walt. 
1795 Johannes Walz aged 30. 

1792 Mrs. Margaretha Walz. 
1833 Maria Wands. 

1864 Wm. Russell Wands. 
1864 Phebe his wife. 
1871 Andrew Warner. 
1871 Eliza M. his wife. 



1870 Mrs. Catharine Warner. 
1843 Mrs. Esther Waterman. 
1829 Sarah Ann Weaver. 

1817 Margaret Weaver. 
1831 Elizabeth Weber. 
183 L Henry Weber. 
1829 Maria Weber. 

1801 Andrew Weiderwachs 
Vorsteher zu Ni skat ah 
1801 Sarah his wife. 

1818 Lawrence Weiderwax. 

1818 Anna Weiderwax. 

1819 Francis Weiderwax. 
1819 Sebastian Weiderwax. 
1831 Anna C. Weiger. 

1831 Ann Elizabeth Weiger. 
1831 Johannes Weiger. 
1833 Carl Weinstein. 
1813 Elisha Wells. 

1871 Edgar S. Werner. 
Maria Werner. 

1791 Philip Wetzel. 

1795 Rev. Joseph George 

Wichtermann. 
1869 Alice A, Wilcox. 

Johan Wild. 
1869 Henrietta Wilkins. 
1869 Henry Wilkins. 
1801 Maria Winne. 
1793 Michael Winter. 
1793 Charlotte his wife. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



101 



1832 Elizabeth Whipple. 


178G 


1858 Jane Ann Whipple. 




1843 Louis Whipple. 


1786 


1843 Catharine his wife. 


1795 


1869 Louisa Whitehouse. 


1791 


1854 Mary Ann Wolford. 


1791 


1786 Johan Wolter. 


1791 


1819 B. Wormer. 


1791 


1844 Eliz. Lucretia Wormer. 




1831 Mary Wormer. 


1795 


1795 Isaac Wormer. 


1833 


1795 Elsgen his wife. 


1833 


1855 Joseph Wright. 


1833 


1863 Lany Wright. 


1833 


1821 William Yarker. 


1795 


1844 Sydney Young and wife. 




1844 Jemima Young. 





Johan Ludewig Zeil- 
mann. 

Dorothea his wife. 

Catharine Ziker, aged 17. 

Jacob Ziker. 

Christina his daughter. 

Ludewig Ziker. 

Christina his wife (wi- 
dow in 1805). 

Maria Ziker, aged 19. 

Elias Zimmer. 

Margaret Zimmer. 

Daniel Zimmer. 

Nicholas Zimmer. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Zobei, 
aged 18. 



102 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



Extracts from the Records. 

Among the early records of the common council we 
find the following curious entry : 

Att a Court of Mayor and Aldermen held for y e Citty 
of Albany, y e 17th day of August, 1686. Present Peter 
Schuyler, Jan Jans Bleeker, Johannes Wandel, Dirck 
Wessells, Adrian G-erritse, Levinus Van Schaik. Her- 
cules, y e negro of Myndert Frederikse being brought 
before y e Court by warrant of y e May r to answer y e fel- 
lonious taking out of his master's house a small chest 
wherein some bags of wampum 1 was contained, belonging 
to y e Poor of y e Lutheran Church, and being examined 
doth confess y e fact y* upon Thursday night last he came 
to his master's house, and finding y e window of y e cham- 
ber open, went in and stole away y e small chest wherein 
y e money of y s poor of y e Lutheran Church was kept, 
and broke y e chest open without y e gate, at y e water side 
with an axe. Ordered, y l y e s l Negroe be committed and 
secured in y e Common Groale till y e next Court of Sessions, 
when he is to be brought to his tryall. — Albany Records, 
in, 4. 



2 The currency was at this time beaver skins and wampum, 
or seawant, the money of the Indians, made of shells. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 103 

The trustees having procured a charter, in 1784, pro- 
vided books for keeping their records in a regular manner. 
If any books were kept before this time, they have been 
lost. The book of the trustees was begun in German, 
and is entitled : Protocoll der evangelisch Lutherischen 
Gemcinde in der Stadt Albany in dcm Staat von New 
York von dem Jahr und Tage Hirer Incorporation, Anno 
Christi 1784, d. 26ten August. The pastor's book is 
thus entitled: Tauf- Communion und Copulations Reg- 
ister der Evang. Luth. Gemeinde in Albanien, Ebenezer 
genannt. Lobet den Herrn, der zu Zion wolinet. It is a 
record of the baptisms, communions and marriages, be- 
ginning in 1784 and coming down to the present time. 
The following interesting facts are gathered from these 
records : 

Aug. 30, 1784. The trustees, consisting of John 
George Hildebrand, Carl Neumann and Christian Ehring, 
met for the first time after their incorporation. 

The congregation seems to have been worshiping in the 
parsonage at this time, a room having been fitted up for 
that purpose. The records mention that the Episcopa- 
lians, with whom they had been worshiping in their 
former church, pulled down the edifice and appointed a 
minister of their own. The Episcopalians erected a 
church in State street in 1715, and could have had no 
further use for the Lutheran church after that time. 
How. long the edifice, which is spoken of by Mr. Barclay 



104 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

in 1714 as old and dilapidated, stood after that period, 
does not appear; but it may be inferred that they made 
use of the parsonage from the time it was taken down 
till the new church was finished in 1786. They some- 
times attended the Episcopal church. 

2d June, 1786, the corner-stone of the new church was 
laid ) at the north-east corner under the third stone from 
the top there was laid down in a square short bottle, a 
Lutheran catechism, and also a memorandum as follows: 
"This church was erected in the year of our Lord 1786, 
by the Evangelical Lutheran congregation of this city of 
Albany, under the propitious direction of its pastor, the 
Rev. Henry Moeller, a member of the Rev. Ministerium 
of the Lutheran confession in North America ; at which 
time Messrs. Charles Neumann, Christopher Beekman 
and John Leonhard, were trustees : and Messrs. John 
Horn, John Georg Geyer, Omy Legrange, Gottfried 
Enax, Doctor Medic, and Mr. [George] Klink were church 
council ; Messrs. J. G. Geyer and Christian Ehring were 

treasurers. 

" Deus sol et scutum." 

22 Oct., 1786. The church was consecrated, the Rev. 
J. C. Kunze of New York and Prof. Schwerdtfeger of 
Hoosic, aiding the pastor, Rev. Henry Moeller, in the 
ceremonies. " The Rev. Dr. Kunze entered into the 
pulpit first, after a formal consecration by pastor loci, and 
declared this an evangelical Lutheran church, in which 



13 




PLAN OF ALBANY, 1695. 



1. The fort. 

2. Dutch church. 

3. Lutheran church. 

4. Its burial place, 
fi. Dutch church do. 



6. Stadhuis, or City Hall. 

7. Blockhouses. 

9. Great gun to clear a gulley. 

10. Stockades. 

11. City gates, 6 in all. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 107 

the word of God shall be promulgated, in any language, 
but especially in our high German, and the holy sacra- 
ments administered by a duly ordained minister and no 
other." The church house in which they had worshiped, 
was ordered to be converted into a parsonage. 

This church was situated on the present site of the 
City building, corner of South Pearl and Howard streets, 
then known as Washington and Lutheran streets. As 
before stated, it had been owned by the church since 
1680. The street leading to it from State street, was a 
narrow lane that for many years extended no further 
than Beaver street, at which was an angle in the stock- 
ades, where was erected a blockhouse. It is within 
the recollection of persons still living, that a gate swung 
across at State street, obstructing the entrance to this 
lane. The annexed engraving is here inserted to show the 
locality and its surroundings in 1695, a period about 
twenty-five years after the Lutherans had built a church 
and parsonage on this spot, and ninety years before the 
church was rebuilt, and these records begun. 

12th Sept. 1786. Deeds were exchanged between the 
mayor and corporation, and the trustees, embracing a 
small lot of land in Washington now South Pearl street, 
" for an acre on the hill where the hospital formerly stood." 
This was what now forms the site of the State Hall, and 
of the church on Pine and Lodge streets, with the inter- 
vening space since planted with trees. It was an im- 



108 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

mense pile of clay. A similar square of like material, 
adjoining on the east, was donated to the Catholic church, 
and thus Luther and the pope were placed side by side, and 
continue to maintain that amicable juxtaposition to the 
present time. The ground thus acquired by the city was 
for the purpose of widening South Pearl street, in the 
centre of which, as the street now runs, the church stood. 

The real property of the society consisted at this time 
of a church, a parsonage adjoining, and a lot renting for 
£2 10s. per annum, and five lots renting for £2 2s. 6d. 
each. Also six house lots in the second ward adjoining 
Duke [State] street, with a house and barn, leased to one 
Ashmore. Another lot renting for £2 10s. and a bury- 
ing ground adjoining. The personal property consisted 
of debts amounting to £30; a pewter tankard, a pewter 
bread box, an iron bread mould, a silver chalice, a small 
silver plate, a table cloth, a napkin, for the sacramental 
services; a tankard and oval dish of pewter, for baptism; 
a pewter plate for gathering alms ; a small funeral cloth ; 
a small chest for the books and papers of the officers. 
The society was in debt nearly £200. The New York 
pound was $2.50 of our present currency, at which rate 
all the sums mentioned in these records are to be reckoned. 

About this time Mr. Martin Hebeysen became a mem- 
ber of the board of trustees, and was one of the notabili- 
ties of the church for many years. He was a native of 
Zuettlingen, Germany, a blacksmith by profession, who 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, 109 

died in 1827, aged 89, leaving no posterity, and was 
buried in the cemetery of the Dutch Keformed church. 
It is said that he strenuously opposed the abandonment 
of the German language in the services, and when the 
change was made he ceased to attend church ; but one of 
his friends attended at his house and read a sermon tu 
him in his native language, during his declining years. 
His signature is here given in fac-simile, as it stands in 
the book of records. 

Sept. 27, 1787. Christian Ehring having resigned 
the office of treasurer, the archives were placed in the 
hands of Charles Newman. A meeting of the church 
officers was held, consisting of Martin Hebevsen and 
Charles Newman, trustees; J. G. Geyer and Conrad 
Ruby, elders; George Klink and Gottlieb Friedrich 
Brown, deacons ; when John Huth was elected grave- 
digger at the stipulated price of 25 cents for a child's 
grave under six years of age ; 37J cents for a child 
between six and sixteen ; and 50 cents for an adult. Mr. 
G. F. Brown accepted the office of prelector, or reader, 
without salary, and to give notices at funerals, at the 
price of 50 cents for a child, and 25 cents additional lor 



110 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

the use of the pall ; for an adult, 75 cents. Mr. J. G. 
Geyer accepted the office of singer for such sura as might 
be given him by the members. 

March, 1788. Johann C. Friedenreich came into the 
board of trustees, and was for a long time one of the most 
active and influential members of the church. He came 
over from Germany in Col. Breymann's corps of Bruns- 
wick Grenadiers, and accompanied Burgoyne's expedition 
from Canada; was severely wounded at Saratoga, and 
brought to this city. He fixed his residence here, mar- 
ried Eva Fetherly, and at the celebration of the adoption 
of the constitution, which took place in 1788, he joined 
the procession with a carriage drawn by two horses, on 
which a cordwainer's shop was erected, in which himself 
and his journeymen and apprentices appeared at work, 
dressed in white, with aprons, yellow sashes and cockades. 
He afterwards kept the principal meat market in the city, 
carrying on a prosperous business, which has been fol- 
lowed by all his posterity to the fourth generation. The 
pastors of the church were usually entertained at his 
house, and Drs. Hartwick and Kunze were often there. 
He advocated among his countrymen the policy of adher- 
ing at once to the manners and customs of their adopted 
country, especially of cultivating the English language, 
and allowed no other to be spoken in his family. In 
1792, the legislature, then sitting at Poughkeepsie, passed 
a special act of naturalization in his case, instead of exact- 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. Ill 

ing the customary fee. He died 27 March, 1821, aged 
69, and his funeral was attended by the members of 
the Mechanic's Society. His residence was on the north 
corner of South Pearl and Bleecker streets. His signature 
appears often in the records, of which a fac-simile is here 
given. 

In Dec, 1788, several members of the board gave their 
individual notes for various sums to satisfy the creditors 
of the church for work done upon the parsonage, and 
Mr. Moeller, the pastor, agreed to give the church credit 
for £30 of his salary four years without interest. 

In 1789, the common council appropriated five acres of 
ground between Eagle, State, Hawk and Lancaster streets, 
for a burial ground for the only four societies then in 
existence, having their cemeteries adjoining or near their 
respective churches, namely, the Dutch Reformed, the 
Lutheran, the Episcopalian, and the Presbyterian. The 
Lutheran ground comprised the property on Park street, 
the remnant of which was recently sold and invested in 
the new church edifice. The trustees accepted of these 
lots in March, 1790, and ceased to bury near the church 
on South Pearl street. 



112 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 



In February, 1792, there were 40 pewholders in the 
congregation, as follows : 



Christian Ehring, 
Charles Newmann, 
John G. Geyer, 
Christopher Beekmann, 
Matthew Kugler, 
John Ostrander, 
Martin Hebeysen, 
Andreas Roller, 
John Tillman, 
John H. Niemier, 
Bernhard Bauer, 
John Matth. Horn, 
John Huth, 
John Lenerd, 
John C. Friedenreich, 
John Conrad Ruby, 
Christopher Ruby, 
Henry Dowmann, 
John Hitt, 
Frederick Dieffenbach, 



Samuel Henderer, 
John Zeilmann, 
Daniel Lenerd. 
John Geyer, 
Jacob Kummich, 
Daniel Pohlman, 
John Matthew Dish, 

Batterman, 

Peter Young, 
Peter Horn, 
Christina Roff, 
Johannes Young, 
Thomas Butz, 
George Geiger, 
Antony Santvoord, 
Daniel Schneyder, 

Bromley, 

George Harris, 
Frederick Shailey, 
Margaretha Enax, 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 113 

Jan. 2, 1795. Voluntary contributions were made for 
the purchase of a stove, amounting to £10 : 10s. by the 
members in the city, and the members from the Boght 
paid £2:0: 6. The stove cost £15 : 7 : 6. 

The rents of the lots had been considerably increased ; 
the incoming debts were £22 : lis., there was £14 : 6 : 10 
in the treasury, and it is recorded in large characters : 
" The Corporation is in no 
Debt." Signed by John 
C. Friedenreich, Charles 
Newman, and Martin 
Hebeysen. Among the 
items of church effects is 




mentioned a silver seal, 
of which the annexed is 
a fac-simile : 

26 August, 1796. " It 
was agreed that the church 
chist should be compleadet egain with three different 
locks." This furnished each trustee with a key (J. 
Conrad Ruby, Daniel Pohlman and Martin Hebeysen). 
Thus the chest could be opened only when all were present. 
The precaution was not peculiar to these trustees, but is 
found recorded in the usage of other ancient institutions. 

The following record was entered by J. C Ruby, clerk 
of the board : " It hath bin omidet to insert that the 
Trustees J. Conrad Ruby and Martin Hebeysen con- 
14 



114 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH. 

cludet to get a bell into their church. They presendet 
to his Excelency our Lieut. Governor and Likewise 
to his honor the mayor a Pedition to Collect as much 
money to purchase a bell. The Pedition was generously 
Exepdet and Grandet. They went with their Pedition 
to all principle Citizens first and so in their Turns called 
upon every Christian Citizens on the 28th August, 1796. 
But the subscribed Donations have not bin called for till 
the third and fourth week in August, 1797, and with the 
Blessing of God the bell is put into the stippel of Ebenc- 
zer church and fully paid with the collected money. 
The bell cost 55 pound, the hanging thereof cost 15 
pound. " 

Other expenses were paid to the amount of £7 : 17 : 10; 
in all £77 : 17 : 10. The whole amount collected was 
£84 : 17 : 2, or $212.16. This bell was first used as an 
alarm bell on a British man of war, and weighed 288 lbs. 
It was transferred to the church on Pine street, and in 
1850 cracked, when it was sold for about $88, and a new 
one procured, as large as the tower would admit, which 
was about 1,000 lbs. 

17 Feb., 1798. The trustees of the church removed 
the remains of John Christopher Hartwick from Livings- 
ton's Manor, where he died two years before, and buried 
them under the church, placing a " sepulchre stone " in the 
floor, in front of the pulpit. These remains were removed 
to the church on Pine street in 1816, and the tablet 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 115 

placed in the floor there, in front of the pulpit ; and it 
is now in the same position in the lecture room of the 
new church. The following is the inscription in defec- 
tive German. It may have been correctly written in the 
German character, and engraved by some one of another 
nationality : 

Hier ruhet 

Johann C. Hartwich 

Prediger der Evangelisch 

Lutherischen Kirche. 

Gebohren in Sax-Gotha 

den 6 Januer 1714 

Gestorben 
den 16 Julius 1796. 

Seines alters 
82 Jahre 6 Monat 

Das kurzgesteckte ziel der tage, 
1st siebenzig, ist achtzig iahr, 
Ein innbegrif von muli und plage, 

Auch wennesnoch so kostlich war. 
Gefliigelt eilt mit uns die zeit, 
In eine lange ewigkeit. 

The number of pewholders had now increased to 49. 
The trustees were J. Conrad Ruby, Martin Hebeysen 
and Daniel Pohlman ; the elders were Samuel Henderer, 
Christopher Ruby and Johann Heinrich Niemeier. Isaac 
Van Wormer and Christian Justus Stockman were 



116 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

deacons. Mr. Niemeier was a Hessian soldier in Bur- 
goyne's army, and became a merchant here. His de- 
scendants are supposed to have passed away, and the 
name in his line become extinct. He was for a long time 
a trustee, and held other church offices. His autograph 
is here copied : 

The entries of Mr. John C. Ruby are so quaint as to 
add very much to their interest, wherefore some of them 
are given in his own words. 25 July, 1798. "The 
citizens had bin Invited to hear the Rev. Mr. Quittman 
deliver a sermon in Low Dutg. Mr. Jeremias Yan Rens- 
selaer attendt to Devine worship the same thime, and 
seeing our church unfinished, proposed to have our Gal- 
lery paintit out his own Benevolency. Then the same 
thime the Trustees consendet that he might complet and 
finish the whole church with the overblus of the fourthy 
pound of Hardwig's Sepulcher Grantet to the church, 
and the church was compleadet and finished so as it ap- 
pears this day." 

26 Aug., 1800. It was reported that the church had 
been painted at an expense of £102 :7s., and was in 
debt £40 : 16s. 

9 Feb., 1801. It was announced that Christopher 
Ruby had been elected a trustee in place of John Conrad 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 117 

Ruby, deceased. The lots on Pine street now produced 
an income of £12. In August of this year, Dr. John Q-. 
Knauff became a trustee. 

The trustees were now engaged in taking upon them- 
selves the trusts of the Hartwick estate, and preparing 
to erect a seminary on a portion of the cemetery grounds 
where Park street now is. 

9 Sept., 1802. John G-. Greyer was voorsinger (or 
chorister) at a salary of eight dollars a year. 

24 Feb., 1803. John Huth (written also Hood) was 
bell ringer, and his salary was increased to $8 dollars a 
year. He died in Nov., 1806, bequeathing his folio 
Bible to the church, and it was used in the pulpit. 

8 June, 1803. Isaac Bogart, Jr., presented the church 
with two double brass chandeliers for the pulpit. 

20 Dec, 1803. It was resolved that the dead in fu- 
ture should be deposited in the new cemetery, west of 
Knox street, and all interments should cease in the old 
cemetery on Park street. The bodies in the old ceme- 
tery were at the same time ordered to be removed to tlu 
new one, and Christopher Ruby was appointed to employ 
persons to do the work. 

At a meeting of the trustees, 8th Jan., 1804, it was 
resolved that the payment of all salaries said to be for 
teachers and scholars in the Hartwick Seminary should 
be stopped. It was soon after determined to decrease 
the number of elders and deacons, and to increase the 



118 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

number of trustees to five. William Gefferd was elected 
deacon. This name is often spelled Keffert, and finally 
was transformed into Gaffers. He died in 1812. Dea- 
con Gefferd wrote his name in so ornate a character, that 
it is thought important to preserve it in this memoir, 
and it is accordingly given in fac-sitnile. He was a 
nephew of Martin Hebeysen, and inherited his property. 



C^f^ 




/l*> 






The trustees petitioned the common council for a deed 
of their old burial ground, and also to have the level 
of Deer (now State) street, fixed, in order to enable 
them to lay the foundation of their proposed academy. 

They also applied to the officers of the Episcopal 
church to join them in opening a street between their 
respective cemetery lots, as had been suggested by their 
late rector, Mr. Ellison, to be called Lutheran street; 
but as the dead had not been removed from the Episcopal 
ground, no arrangement could be effected. Whereupon 
they resolved to build their academy upon the line of the 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 119 

two burial grounds. They also applied to the legislature 
for the transfer of the Hartwick estate to them. 

29 Aug., 1806. Twenty feet of ground was given to 
form the street now known as Park street. 

In 1807 the common council made a demand upon the 
trustees for £28, principal and interest, for 100 loads of 
stone taken from the old fort for building their church 
in 1786. 

The Rev. Frederic G. Mayer began his ministry this 
year, under a call for three years. 

30th Nov. At a meeting of the board of trustees, 
present, Martin Hebeysen, Daniel Pohlman, Jr., Christo- 
pher Ruby, and John Knauff, " Resolved, That no corpse 
that was not a member of the congregation at the time of 
death or the nearest relation thereof, shall be buried in 
our cemetery without a previous resolve of admittance by 
this board. 

" Resolved, That each family shall pay for its ne- 
cessary seat, not exceeding one whole pew, one dollar for 
those on the sides, and fifty cents for these on the isles, 
for one year, to be paid yearly. 

" Resolved, That $12 shall be paid to the sexton. " 

1808. The board resolved, that as they found it im- 
possible to execute the trust committed to them by the 
delivery of the Hartwick estate, without being bound in 
contradiction to the will of the testator, they would rede- 
liver the property into the hands of the surviving testa : 



120 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

tor, " and accordingly retransferred the said estate im- 
mediately." 

1810. The term of the call of the Rev. F. G. Mayer 
having expired, he demanded a "perpetual call," which 
the board was reluctant to give. But they seem to have 
acceded to his terms, and voted him $750 a year. 

Nov., 1811. John Gr. Knauff was elected organist, 
which is the first mention of an organ. For this service 
he was to receive $100 a year. The church and organ 
were insured in the London Phoenix Insurance Company. 
Martin Hebeysen, who had been treasurer a long time, 
resigned. Christopher Monk was clerk of the board. 
James Merrifield was employed to attend the English 
services as singer, at $30 a year. 

1812. Christopher Monk was employed to oversee 
the grading and paving of Pine street at 75cts. a day, 
and to be paid 7ets. a load for removing the soil. 

1814. Jacob Myers, the treasurer, died and was suc- 
ceeded by Harmanus Henderer. Christopher Monk was 
collector of the revenues of the church at a salary of twenty 
dollars. John Tiesey was sexton at a salary of twenty 
dollars. The organ was repaired by William Redstone 
at an expense of $100. John C. Goldsbergh was organist 
at $100. Henry F. Benne was elected elder, with John 
C. Feltman, who was also elected trustee. 

1816. The trustees resolved to sell their property 
fronting on Pearl street, including the Fly market, for 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 121 

$32,000. The market house had been removed in 1807, 
from its original location in Broadway, south of Maiden 
lane, to this locality, and a portion of the identical 
structure now forms the corner of Howard and William 
streets, parcels of it having been from time to time taken 
from the south end, and new structures erected upon 
the site. They immediately began to build a new church 
on Pine street. 

1817. Henry Newman was elected trustee in the 
place of his father, Charles Newman, deceased, who had 
held the office ever since the incorporation of the society 
in 1781. The latter came to this city about 1781, and 
entered into business as a glover, paying, according to the 
custom of the time, £Z : 12s. as a license to pursue his 
calling. His descendants continue an extended business 
to the present time, and constitute the oldest house doing 
business in the city without change of location. 

28 June, 1819. Harmanus Henderer resigned the 
treasury of the church, and Henry Newman succeeded 
him in office, at a salary of §50, giving §2,000 bonds; and 
John C. Feltman gave 61,000 bonds as collector, at a 
salary of §40. 

29 Aug., 1821. The pastor's salary was raised from 
$825 to §1,000. 

26 Nov., 1831. Mr. John C. Feltman had acted as 
clerk and collector for many years. The minutes, while 
he kept them, contain merely a very short notice of the 
15 



122 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

quarterly elections, and the amount of money in the hands 
of the treasurer. He had attained very little skill in 
writing English, and the business of the board is there- 
fore made to appear quite trifling in amount, and mono- 
tonous. On this day, however, there is an entry intended 
to be pungent, which is quoted in his words and ortho- 
graphy, showing his proficiency as a clerk ; yet he was a 
very honest and trustworthy officer. 

" The Clerk was ordered By the Trustees to whrit to the 
sexton Philip C. Haynor & Request him to atten Every 
wick one ore two occasions Him selfts to see that the church 
work was thon in proper maner and not His children if 
he whoth not then to give up His Sextonship. Presend 
four Trustees. Hermanus Henderer, 

Henry Newman, ' 
William Hosch, 
John C. Feltman." 

At the meeting in February following, Jacob S. Hen- 
derer was appointed sexton, and a very formal agreement 
was made with him as to what he was to do for the sum 
of sixty-five dollars which he was to receive. 

16 April, 1833. John C. Feltman was succeeded by 
George H. Kerker as clerk and collector, at a salary of 
$80. Mr. Kerker was an excellent clerk, and the minutes 
were very well and more fully entered in the book kept 
for the purpose. 



HISTORY OP THE CHURCH. 123 

23 Aug., 1833. A meeting of the minister, elders, 
deacons, and trustees was held at the house of the pastor, 
F. G. Mayer. Present : the pastor, Daniel Pohlman, Law- 
rence Hallenbake, J. Bernhard Garling, JohnC. Feltman, 
Henry Newman, George II. Kerker, William Hosch, 
David Zeh. The object of the meeting was to take a 
vote of the officers of the church on the question of a 
union of the Evangelical Lutheran churches with the 
Reformed German Lutheran churches in the United 
States. The deputy to the next meeting of Synod, Con 
rad S. Mayer, was instructed to vote against such union by 
the unanimous voice of the church officers. 

7 Dec, 1833. Proposition to purchase the lot fronting 
on Eagle street 185 feet, and 38 feet on Pine and Steu- 
ben streets, and an adjoining lot on Steuben street 28 by 
68 feet, was made by E. Croswell. The trustees offered 
the premises for $5,000, conditioned for the erection of a 
State house, and subject to the lease of Frederic Van 
Wormer. 

26 May, 1834. The treasurer reported $6,223.90 in 
the treasury, and the trustees, at the suggestion of Mr. 
Newman, began to build on Capitol, now Park street. 
The minister, elders, and deacons, reminded the trustees 
that they had exceeded their powers in selling the church 
property without the consent of the congregation, and in 
order to induce that consent, demanded a portion of the 
proceeds of the sale to be used in the erection of a suit- 



124 HISTORY OE THE CHURCH. 

able lecture room, an enlarged organ, and a new bell. 
The trustees made a spirited reply, denying the request, 
on the ground that they had already appropriated the 
money to the building of four houses on Lancaster street. 

30 July, 1834. The corporation of the city made ad- 
vances for purchasing more ground for the new State 
house, and the trustees, fearing that the whole would be 
taken on appraisal for public purposes, agreed to sell the 
28 feet lot on Pine street adjoining the Bissell lot, as it 
was called, recently sold to the state, running back 102 
feet to the half lot on Steuben street, already sold, fixing 
the price at $1,300. But the common council deter- 
mined to take the whole property, 123 feet 4 J inches on 
Pine street, leaving the church 63 feet 3 J inches on Pine 
and 57 feet on Steuben. The church being 40 by 60 
feet, there remained ample space for present purposes. 
The property taken was appraised at $9,475, and the 
church was assessed $1,545.14 upon that amount; so 
that in effect the church contributed about one-sixth of 
the ground taken. 

26 Aug., 1835. The trustees having $8,641.68, in the 
treasury, commenced building a lecture room and parson- 
age on the rear of the church lot, at a cost of $3,890. 

Thirty-eight Germans applied to the officers of the 
church for aid in supporting a minister, Mr. Moellman,to 
preach in German — Mr. Mayer, now doing that duty for 
them once on Sunday, after preaching twice to his own 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 125 

congregation. The trustees paid Mr. Moelhnan §50. 
They soon after applied for and obtained permission to 
worship once on each Sunday in the church in German, 
without charge. It was also discovered that the Germans 
had entered into a conspiracy to take up the pews in such 
numbers as to out-vote the advocates of English preach- 
ing, and turn the services into German. It was counter- 
acted by the trustees resolving not to lease more pews. 

1838. The trustees procured a new organ at an ex- 
pense of $2,175, disposing of the old one at §300. Philip 
A. Mayer, son of the pastor, was reappointed organist at a 
salary of §160. 

In 1837, the trustees erected two dwelling houses in 
Park street at an expense of §6,680 ; and in 1839, con- 
tracted for four more for §8,320. Their real estate now 
consisted of 11 brick dwelling houses, including the par- 
sonage, and three lots on Park street under lease, and three 
fronting on State street. 

18 March, 1840, Philip C. Hayner resigned the office 
of sexton, and Justus Bender was appointed, at §60 cash, 
and the rental of the basement of the Lecture room at 
§25 ; in all §85. 

8 Oct., 1840. George H. Kerker was succeeded by 
John C. Feltman as clerk and collector, at a salary of 
§125. Henry Newman was treasurer and president of 
the board of trustees. 



126 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 

7 April, 1842. The German congregation was aided 
by the amount of $200 from the church fund. 

31 Dec, 1842. The Key. Frederick G. Mayer died at 
the age of 59. having officiated 37 years. 

18 July, 1843. The elders, deacons and trustees, 
resolved to call the Rev. Henry N. Pohlman at a salary 
of $1,500 and a free house. The vote on this call was 
Aye : Henry Newman, Robert Waterman, Henry T. 
Mesick, Stephen V. R. Ableman, J. Bernhard Garling, 
Conrad S. Mayer. Nay : John C. Feltman, William P. 
Koons, Jacob Eckhoff. 

Jan., 1844. It was resolved to lease the square pews 
at $10 a year ; the side pews at $6, and the centre pews 
at $5. These pews were high boxes, containing a great 
deal of superfluous timber. About this time lamps were 
procured for the church, and new stoves. 

13 Dec, 1847. Henry Newman resigned the office of 
treasurer, which he had held 28 years, and was succeeded 
by Charles S. Frink at the former salary of $50 per annum. 

The trustees now resolved to sell $10,000 worth of its 
property to pay its debt, and repair the church. There 
were but about fifty pews in the church, which produced 
scarcely sufficient income to support the choir. 

9 Sept., 1848. It was resolved to reseat and uphclster 
the pews, to adopt a better mode of heating the church, 
to light it with gas, and otherwise improve it. 



HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. 127 

Mr. Henry Newman retired from the board, which now 
consisted of Henry T. Mesick, Gr. W. Benjamin, Frederick 
C. G-ombel, C. S. Frink, Myers Henderer, trustees ; J. 
Bernhard Garling, Wm. P. Koons, elders; Theophilus 
Roessle and John Fredendall, deacons. 

An ineffectual effort was made to reduce the pastor's 
salary to $1,000. The expenses of the church had greatly 
increased, and so much of the property on long leases at 
low rents, was covered by poor tenements, inhabited by 
such a class of squalid families, that the three story brick 
tenements owned by the church with difficulty found 
tenants at $150 a year. These also required constant 
repairs, which consumed half the rents. 

The trustees passed a vote of thanks to Mr. John 
C. Feltman in consideration of his faithfulness in the 
discharge of the duties of his office for a great number of 
years, but which he now resigned. Myers Henderer 
was elected in his place, as secretary, collector and general 
agent, who was soon after succeeded by Harmin Visscher. 
Under the excellent management of Mr. Visscher, the 
property was put in the best possible state of improvement, 
and its revenues greatly increased. 

Upon the advent of a new pastor in 1868, and in view 
of the dilapidated condition of the church edifice and the 
favorable opportunity, which seemed to have arrived, for 
a vigorous movement to place the society upon a new van- 
tage ground, the trustees resolved to submit to the con- 



128 HISTORY OF THE CHUKCH, 

gregation a proposition to sell the remnant of the church 
property, and invest the proceeds in a larger edifice, as 
has been previously mentioned. A meeting of the church 
council was called to deliberate upon so important a move- 
ment. The council at this time consisted of Rev. Samuel 
P. Sprecher, the pastor, ex officio president of the board ; 
Henry Falke, Jasper Van Wormer, Peter Foland, George 
W. Knowlton, Joel Munsell, Thomas Van Aernam, 
Isaac S. Van Woert, trustees; Andrew Bonner, Charles 
Agne, John Fredendall, elders; Joseph H. Kennedy, 
Gustavus W. Scholl, deacons. They determined to ven- 
ture upon the experiment — an experiment that was 
crowned with the most eminent success. 



0C1 19 1903 



